I was listening to an episode of The Indicator on economics in space. Toward the end, one of the astronauts talked about how being in space changed his views of Earth fundamentally. And it was touching and thought provoking and sweet.
And then later that night, I listened to the Winter Concert put on by my niece’s high school. And that was really good too.
And all this got me thinking of the sounds I miss.
My world was fairly solo even before COVID-19. And I was rather indoorsy, in any case.
But so much of what I hear, on an average day, is the same. Some is good (talks with friends and family), some steady (the sound of my pedaling), some unavoidable (conference calls), some not-so-great (my knee popping as I go upstairs).
Indoor, homey sounds. The coffee pot hisses. The stove clicks on. The toaster oven pops off. The space heater fan whirs. The furnace roars to life.
I might pop outside, even less often at this time of year: the water feature splashes, the traffic whooshes, a bird calls, a squirrel chitters.
The same sounds. Familiar.
But it made me realize that when I travel, it’s not only the sights and flavors and scents that change. There are also different sounds. Different languages or dialects, different wildlife, even different traffic sounds.
In the effort of all my virtual journeys, now brought to life with regionally inspired menus, I forgot to try to add music to the mix.
Which is silly because invariably, even it’s just ambiance to a meal, I quite often do hear music when I go away. I may not even really notice it, unless there’s an “event” built around it, but it’s usually there.
(That said, it kind of makes sense that I would forget about that. I’m not musical at all, myself.)
Still it’s something I’m going to see if I can incorporate. Why not find some local music while I make my next virtual-trek-inspired meal?
Wish me luck… or send me recommendations! 🎶
aka gringita 