Rich and resonant with memories of trips past, this very personal selection illustrates how songs can transport us, especially in lockdown
I am really never happier than when sitting alone in some midwestern grill bar, eavesdropping on strangers, and watching the evening unfold out of the corner of my eye. Travelling alone is something I always encourage people to do. I think it’s good for the soul. And, as a woman, I like the particular sense of possibility it brings: the rangy feeling of not caring what anyone thinks of me. This song captures that feeling perfectly for me; I remember once playing it on repeat as I drove the icy backroads through the Blue Ridge mountains, on my way to go shape-note singing; all pine trees and sharp morning sunlight and the thought that there was nowhere I would rather be, and no one I would rather be with.