The turn of the millenium saw me travelling frequently for work. I'd
spend weeks at a time in other cities, cross-training new staff and
helping to implement their logistics and warehouse operations. Being
away from home was fun at first. I was in my mid-to-late twenties,
living on my own with no responsibilities other than paying my rent, and
travelling to different cities on the company dime was an exciting
proposition.
Every trip was great... for the first week or so. Typically, I'd go out
after work with members of the local staff and management, sampling the
local cuisine and nightlife, and generally getting to know everyone on a
personal level.
After that first week or so, the novelty would wear off. The local
staff and management would need to go back to their normal lives, and I
would start to get bored. Not being the most sociable person at the
best of times, I'd tend to wander, sightseeing and trying out new
restaurants and lounges on my own. Despite making a few local
friendships of a, er, ahem, temporary nature, I'd get bored by the end
of the second week, wishing I could go back home, sleep in my own bed,
hang out at my own hangouts, and eat my own local food.
During my outings, I'd hear a certain song nearly everywhere I went. It
would be played in the bars, clubs, and lounges... its popularity
increased (despite being a couple of years old) by being featured in a
Mitsubishi car commercial at the time. The song was Days Go By by Dirty
Vegas.
I'd hated the song at first, but the stupid commercial made me love it.
So, eventually I bought the album. It was one of the first CDs I
uploaded to my (then) new iPod, but only Days Go By ever saw any
action. The album was quickly forgotten.
Fast forward a few years. Feeling nostalgic, I uploaded the album to my
(then) new iPhone, but this time actually LISTENED to the whole thing.
The first song, I Should Know, contained a line that summed up that period of my life perfectly:
Playing away from home is fun
This food is cooked, but it isn't done!
Over the course of my many travels, I learned one thing: There's no place like home.
--
I'm going to post these musical interludes every Friday. It's my way of getting back into my music, and also back into blogging. Can't promise that I won't be wistful or overly sentimental, however :)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Keep your comments civil and respectful, or they don't get published.