Harmonious Independence | Guest Post from Colin Wright

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Colin Wright of Exile Lifestyle.

It’s said that if you want a relationship to succeed — to last — you have to make sacrifices.

I strongly disagree.

It’s important to bend when dealing with other people on any level, sure, but that doesn’t mean you should break. If you have to give up what’s important to you in order to be with someone else, it’s very possible you’re with the wrong person. This applies to business relationships, friendships, and more-than-friendships equally. Why on earth would you want to give up what makes you, you, in order to be with someone? And why would you want anyone else to do the same?

There’s a phrase I use to describe what I look for in relationships: harmonious independence. It means that you are you, with or without anyone else. You are complete.

At the same time, your independent spirit plays well with others. You don’t expect anyone else to give up what makes them happy in order to be in your life, nor would you want them to expect it of you. Instead, you support each other in all things. Their personality traits, goals, idiosyncrasies, and other relationships are the reason you want them in your life.

Each of you being whole, independent people is what makes the relationship worthwhile in the first place. You have your own lives, but you meet in the middle because you want to. Your completeness supports their completeness and allows you to become an even better version of yourself in the exchange. As a result, you can be tied as loosely or closely as makes sense for your situation — in either case, you contribute to each other’s lives in a positive way.

"A relationship worth having does not require you to be anyone 
but the best possible version of yourself."

---

Colin Wright is an author, entrepreneur, and full-time traveler and his readers decide where he will go next every 4 months. Know more about Colin here.

Odyssey | Music Album

For the last few weeks I have been travelling a lot. Changing transports, visiting places and meeting relatives. It had been quite a time. And while travelling, my best time pass has always been music (I avoid reading while travelling - extremely straining for eyes). Whereas music can help boost our mood, relieve stress, reduce muscle tension, improve body movement and coordination, also reliefs pain.

Without the vibration of guitar strings, sound of the snare drum, notes of piano, it is hard to think of travelling or working - and travel+music kind of go together. I plug my earphones when am:

• travelling
• going to places
• reading something light
• doing mathematical operations
• working on some project
• resting
• sitting and enjoying the moment

In short, music occupies a major part of my daily routine and life.

Whenever I am travelling, I am either sleeping or listening to music. But, one day I thought it would be great if I compile a list of travel songs. Something from the back of my mind asserted too that I should. So, I started taking notes for songs which are most apt for travelling. Songs that set your mood and make you feel like travelling, which make you enjoy the scenes, appreciate your surroundings, watch trees sped by, wonder where these roads would take you, embrace delightful moments and after all, enjoy the journey. I even asked members of Art of The Muses - an open facebook group for music lovers and enthusiasts, to help me out and suggest some good travel songs. Thanks for their contributions!

So, here it is. Launching a compiled list of best travel songs that you would listen to many many times while travelling. The album is called, Odyssey, meaning a long exciting adventurous journey on which a lot of things happen. It consists of 13 tracks and 2 bonus tracks. First 13 are slow to medium tempo soothing music and I highly recommend that you listen to them with your earphones plugged in and the latter two bonus upbeat tracks. My cellphone, home printer, Google Docs, Trello (great tool for organizing things) and few publishing tools came handy in compiling and organizing the list. Hope you enjoy it. :)

"Odyssey"

Odyssey Album Art - Cover

Odyssey Back Cover - Track Listings

Tracks

1. I’m Yours - Jason Mraz: Starting the list with I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. One of the most soothing and beautiful songs I have ever heard. From the first note up to the last, you won't regret listening to this song while you are on the move - instead you would wonder why you haven't had this before until then. If you are driving along the open fields, country side or across the streets, this is your song. Nominated for Grammy Award for Song of the Year (2009), this should be a must in every travel song list in the planet!
2. Dead Man Walking - The Script: Fit for every road, highway, city. This is one of my favorite since I started listening to The Script. These guys are amazing and so are their songs - composition is damn great! Listen to this just one time and I bet you will listen to this everyday for it's that addictive!
3. All the Way/4U - Poets of the Fall: Slow tempo. Soothing to the ears. Poets of the Fall will always be one of my favorites!
4. Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day: "I walk a lonely road, The only one that I have ever known, Don't know where it goes, But it's only me, and I walk alone." This song doesn't need an intro. If you travel a lot, usually long distances, then this had to be in the list. One of the signature songs by Green Day, was ranked #1 on Rolling Stone's Reader's Choice: Singles of the Decade list in 2009.
5. Hey There Delilah - Plain White T’s: This one was submitted by one of the Muses. I didn't know about this track before; but kinda liked it afterwards - it's good. The lyrics is about a boy missing his girl who is thousand miles apart doing her school. Am sure you'll like it while travelling. Also, topped the Billboard Hot 100 (July 2007).
6. Why Georgia - John Mayer: Why Georgia is John Mayer autobiographic, and touches on Mayer's experience of having a 'quarterlife crisis' - a period of life after adolescence in which a person begins to feel doubtful about their own lives, brought on by the stress of becoming an adult. In the song, he questions his actions of moving to Atlanta after dropping out of Berklee College of Music, and while pursuing his dreams had doubts if he’s living his life right and whether he would be successful or not. Sets your mood like travelling from the moment you hit play - you'll enjoy the moment. Plus, its very relaxing. Recommended that after a heavy work schedule or busy stressful day, you plug it in while you are going back home. It will ease up your mood. :)
7. Paradise - Coldplay: A tale about a girl who dreamed of paradise in a difficult and hard struggled life. You could comprehend and relate more why it's in here in the travelling list, if you have seen the video. Life is also like a journey. In its ups and downs or storms and clear sky, we seek a smooth ride. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award and also featured in the trailer of Life of Pi.
8. Extreme Ways - Moby: Yes! It's here. Those who have seen the Bourne film series would be very much acquainted with this track - used as the end title theme in all the movies. Thrilling track (click for Bourne Ultimatum version of this song)! After listening to this once you will get to know why it's there in the movie - perfectly describes the protagonist, Jason Bourne (I love the character played by Matt Damon). I always listen to this at least once when am travelling somewhere. "Extreme ways are back again, Extreme places I didn't know..." You are to a new city? Or you are new to a city? Doesn't matter - this always fits in when you are walking down a city block and merging with the crowd. There will be a slight smile on your face. And you will start recalling a lot of strange past memories - memories of your living places, cities you have been, things you have seen and all that have happened to you. :)
9. If Ever I Could Love - Keith Urban: From one of the best country music singer I have heard till date, comes a song so harmonious that you will feel it all in and move with it. You will be able to relate this more with a rural expedition cause it has typical tastes of country side themes. Damn melodious! Complete 5 stars on my playlist. Best suited when you are travelling from cities to cities through the rural/countryside areas and landscapes in between. See an awesome live video of Keith Urban performing this song with John Mayer.
10. U.F.O - Coldplay: Again, one of my favorites. Love the notes played by guitar strings. It's about uncertainty about which way we might go. Just like travelling, going to places, but still, a long way to go. Sit next to a window, if you are riding a bus or train and listen to the lyrics carefully. All this while, take a look out of the window - see the trees, long roads, landscapes pass by... Trust me. You'll get lost. Sigh!
11. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes: Turn this up when you are out for an adventurous ride. I like this line from the lyrics: "Have you ever noticed every hurricane gets it's name from a girl like this." 
12. I Still Haven't Found What I’m Looking For - U2: I have been a big fan of U2 since I started to listen to English music. In every song there would be something that I can relate myself with. It tells a story about how a man has climbed mountains, run through the fields, scaled big city walls but still haven't found what he is looking for. Similar to our world someway - we have known a lot, seen a lot, gone to a lot of places, traveled a lot, but still haven't found what we are looking for! Here is a live version you would regret missing - this is the power of music!
13. Tu Compania - Keith Urban: Fun track! Groovy! Your body will move with it, I bet. Whether you have just entered a city (familiar or a new one) or have just started exploring it and enjoying the whole surrounding, the customs, its people - here's the song. And... if you got a company as well, that's fine too my lady! Tu Compania! Sorry, couldn't get a better link for the song - please download it from somewhere.

Bonus Tracks

• Feel The Love - Rudimental: I asked one of my friends to suggest some tracks (Nishant is a DJ and he is good at it. love what he does with the tracks - big fan!). Being a DJ, he follows electronic music like techno and trance. He could have suggested me plenty of great trance tracks but I don't prefer listening to trance while travelling (preferably may be while working). What do you prefer? Still... there is this, that I think you should keep in your playlist if you like playing fast tempo songs in your car stereo while going somewhere (or in case if you are a fan of Rudimental - like I am). I heard this song first on Need For Speed Most Wanted (2012). See, playing games isn't that bad after all - I couldn't have known this song otherwise. Thanks NFS! BTW, have you felt the love?
• Leave You Far Behind - Lunatic Calm: "I wanna take you to a roller coaster... I want to push it right over the line!" Heard when I was in 8th standard (2006) - was in the soundtrack listing of Test Drive 6. It has also been featured in a number of game and movie titles. This should be out of the wishlist, in terms of tempo (fast), as compared to what I have included in the top 13 tracks - slow to medium paced tempo, soothing music. But this is different. Like electronic music with big beats (break beats)? May be rock or hard rock sometimes? Then, you should try this. Or like to play loud music in car stereo when you feel like racing or driving or travelling at a fast speed? Play this! It will boost up your energy and adrenaline levels.

That's all folks. You may use Songr to search and download songs. Wait for Side B - it's coming soon. For now, I hope you like the list. Tell me how you enjoy the tracks or what else would you like to add to your own travel playlist in the comments section below. Thanks!