Soundtrack

The following is a few snippets from soundtrack of my trip. Soundtracking involves selecting a song that has no associations (neutral stimulus), then playing it obsessively during a certain point in the trip to pair it to a location. From that point on, hearing the song will trigger vacation memories (conditioned response).

Here are a few of my most memorable:

Oh My God by the Kaiser Chiefs. This song was selected primarily for the lyric "Oh my God, I can't believe it, I've never been this far away from home..." Needless to say, I had never been so far away from home. I listened to this a lot in Bangkok, and it makes me think of riding around on the beautifully frigid A/C goodness of the SkyTrain.

At the River by Groove Armada. Jon and I sat on a picnic bench, watching the waves break, and listened to this over and over. This was from the stay on Ko Taratao, were we slept in the tiny tents on the beach. A good selection "if you're fond of sand dunes and salty air, quaint little villages here and there..."

In the Waiting Line by Zero Seven. Makes me think of chilling out on the rooftop of our guesthouse in Phnom Penh, and the little old lady who was tethered to her desk, writing out her memoirs.

Build Me Up by The Foundations. Makes me think of our impromptu sing-along while standing on the back of a truck, holding on for dear life as we zoomed down the hills. This was in Lamai.

Stuck in the Middle by Stealers Wheel. Because we were stuck in the middle, seriously. This was at the Thai/Cambodian border.

When the Stars Go Blue by Ryan Adams. Makes me think of looking up at the million stars in Halong Bay.