For Meghan, Alaska-Bound & Free
Dear Real Sound Advice,
Life didn’t go as planned. The plan I was supposed to follow or the plan I even had for myself.
My partner left me 8 months ago. Things weren’t really great between us, it was probably for the better. But he was my best friend and we were supposed to be together forever.
I was struggling but started therapy. Felt a little more confident. Started dating a little, even met someone I liked. Then a month ago I found out the house I have been renting long term was going up for sale. My job that I loved was promising me a promotion so I thought things would be ok and I would be able to move out on my own. I was so excited for this new job and new place.
It became sobering when I realized how much rent cost and how uncertain it would be to find a place, especially with a dog. But I had this promotion, a plan, and some hope.
Then the job delayed the promotion for four month after some really disappointing lay offs and closures. I realized that the company wasn’t as solid as it seemed, and that leadership was out of touch. I was commuting 3 hours a day to work for barely above minimum wage and struggling financially for a company who didn’t care about me. So I made a decision.
I bought an RV. Quit my job. Said good bye to the ex. My dog and I are full time nomads. It’s terrifying, sad, and liberating all at once. At least now my dog and I will always have a home.
I need a play list for our first long trip up to Alaska. I have a 10 day drive. We are leaving in less than a month to go up there for summer and then come back to the lower 48 and see where the wind takes us. We’re free.
Why These Songs Are Here
Dear Meghan
Thank you for writing to us and sharing your story. It’s truly exciting to learn how you’ve dealt with these changes that in your life over the last year we find the new adventure that you are embarking on is a wildly brave and inspiring decision. It was a great time putting together this playlist for you to listen to on your way to Alaska. We wanted to put together a collection of songs for you that would perhaps touch on some of the more personal aspects of your story, but also have an overall vibe that is celebratory of the freedom that you have and ultimately expressed at the end of your letter. Although it isn’t long enough to play through the entirety of your trip, we hope that you’ll enjoy the tunes and that maybe you’ll be turned on to these artists’ other woks as well.
First up is an instrumental track by Sven Wunder. “Mosaic” is a song that we imagine as an opening credits song of sorts for the adventure that you’re about to go on. It’s sort of what we’d hear as you’re putting the finishing touches on all the last-minute things you have to do before you depart on the long drive up to Alaska. The strings and horns are symbolic of the ease and carefree vibe that many might feel goes along with a decision like one you are making. But the steady beat is all of the planning and determination that goes along with it.
The concept of freedom, being the main theme of this playlist, brings us to Loretta Lynn’s song “I Wanna Be Free”. How she so bluntly expresses the feeling of being trapped in a certain state of life made its inclusion on this mix a no-brainer. And that moves right into the next song, “Travelin’ On” by Sheer Mag. It’s another rocker about just packing up and moving on and we think it really gets the road trip vibe going.
Chastity Belt’s song “Different Now” is a song with a groovy tune and also fits the road trip vibe, but lyrically has a much heavier theme. Making big decisions or having major unplanned changes in your life are rough times to go through; especially if you feel you’re at an age by which you thought you would have had things figured out. The lyrics in this song are reminders that everything will be ok. It already is ok. Just focus on you and give yourself the love that you deserve. Can’t tell you how frequently this song comes on rotation at RSA Headquarters.
The next few songs are so great and were added because of how their vibe further contributes to the road trip feel, but also because they seem to offer some more encouragement. “I Want To Live On The Abstract Plain”, “Easy Rider”, and “Do It” all feel like motivational messages, telling you that you are doing exactly what you need to be doing for yourself.
The B-52s’ “Dirty Back Road” is a serious bop that goes along with any long trip, but especially one that would take you through places with rough roads and rugged highways. “Ride On” by Wooden Shjips is more encouragement to do just that. Ride on into your future; into the adventure you’ve set up in front of you. The etherial, shoegazy jam “Land’s End” by Pinkshinyultrablast is good enough to make you visualize the northern lights. Maybe you can listen to it while actually getting to see them for yourself (if they appear in the area of Alaska where you’re going). Then vibe out with “Feel It In The Air” because when something as exciting as taking your life back and living it on your own terms is what you’ve got planned for yourself, it something you can certainly feel that power all around you.
Lastly, capping off the playlist is Brigid Dawson and the Mothers Network’s song “When My Day of the Crone Comes”. A song that we feel expresses a woman’s sense of peace and enlightenment after reaching a level of accomplishment. We hope you experience this type of feeling as a result of your adventures.
Thank you again, Meghan, for writing in to Real Sound Advice and sharing your story with us and allowing us to make you this playlist. We hope it aids in the excitement of your adventure and we wish you the best of luck. Ride on!