#147 A playlist of music for when you are freaking out on a long-haul flight
relaxing classics for a long flight
Hello friend,
I used to always enjoy flying, but I find myself getting anxious at times. I enjoy travelling. Being on an aeroplane is always exciting. Either going somewhere or coming back home, I love the real sense of adventure.
I still like those strange meals you get on aeroplanes. I love a good airplane movie, and I have discovered so many great artists listening to all of the music available on long-haul flights.
Perhaps after more than twenty years of travelling back and forth from Italy to Australia, I’m feeling a little burnt out on long-haul flights. It is always such a long journey, and every year that passes, I get a little bit more tired of it.
I am aware that it’s a huge privilege to be able to travel between two such rich and worthwhile countries. I love both Australia and Italy, but I guess with age, life does tend to tire you out.
My exhaustion with long-haul flights has definitely become slowly worse. First, I had to deal with an anxious husband who hates flying, and then adding a young child into the mix hasn’t made it any better. Thank goodness the child is now old enough to look after himself, and the husband is learning to stay home whenever he doesn’t want to travel.
But the main thing that made flying something that made me more anxious was when I had to fly back to Australia by myself after the sudden death of my father. There was something about that epic journey done quickly without thought or rest and while in the grip of fresh sorrow and grief.
Now, every time I travel to and from Australia, I am reminded of all of that trauma and emotion. I am viscerally aware that with each trip home, there is a piece of my life in Australia missing, and with every passing year, there will be more pieces missing, and that is a source of great anxiety.
I find myself now becoming more anxious with each flight. I feel incredibly claustrophobic, and it makes me almost dread having to go through a long-haul flight. I’m aware of my anxiety and generally try to push through it because I know deep down I do enjoy travelling by plane, and it has been the external stresses and trauma that have caused me to feel so anxious.
I have a definite process when I travel. I always try to make myself feel as comfortable as possible. My carry-on bag is very light and usually consists of some basic toiletries to keep myself fresh and hydrated, a notebook that I can take out and journal my thought processes, and a pen. I often take out my journal midflight and put any negative thought I have on the page so I can break it down, analyse it, and somehow take its power away.
My phone is usually nearby with a series of silly little offline games, such as word searches, crosswords, and games where you rearrange letters to find new words.
I also try to watch plenty of in-flight movies to distract myself. I get up, walk, and stretch as often as I can.
During the nighttime part of the flight, I devised a relaxing playlist that helps me rest and distracts the part of my mind that, at times, stimulates my fear.
I discovered this playlist on a flight from Perth to Dubai last year. It was just a random selection of classical music, and Opera preprogrammed within the in-flight entertainment system available on Emirates flights. But now I have taken those tracks, and they have become my anti-anxiety playlist.
The original list includes a lot of opera overtures and arias, including Mozart, Handel, Delibes, Bizet and Strauss. I have always listened to Opera. I find Opera and classical music to be very relaxing, and its ability to paint pictures and moods and create stories makes it easy to be transported into a different state of mind. I sometimes find myself taken to a different place, time or world, which is perfect when you feel tired, bored and slightly claustrophobic on a long-haul flight.
The Emirates playlist included some excellent recordings of thirteen different pieces of operatic music, which were:
The Overture of Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflote K620).
The aria ‘Lascia ch’io pianga’ from Handel’s opera Ronaldo.
Delibes’ exquisitely soothing duet ‘Duo des fleurs’ from Lakmè.
Mozart’s ‘La Ci darem la mano’ from the opera Don Giovanni.
The famous Pearl Fishers duet from Bizet. Les pecheurs de perles, Act 1: ‘Au fond du temple saint.’
Der Rosenkavalier, op.59 Act 2: ‘Mir ist die Ehre winderfahren’ by Strauss.
Bellini’s ‘Casta Diva’ from Act 1 of his opera Norma.
‘E lucevan le stelle’ from Puccini’s opera Tosca.
The intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni.
More from Bizet’s Pearl Fishers, this time in Act 1, ‘Je crois entendre encore.’
The introduction to Rimsky Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel.
Offenbach’s masterpiece from The Tales of Hoffman (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), in Act 2, is titled Barcarolle.
And from Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess: Summertime.
These were the first selections and inspirations, which have now been expanded upon and added to include even more opera and light classical music, all with a relaxing tone.
I’ve added some of my favourite singers to the list, including Pavarotti, who has the most unmistakable Italian singing voice I have ever heard, and others like Jonas Kaufmann, Renata Tebaldi, Nana Mouskouri, Demis Roussos, and Julio Iglesias. It’s become a real mixed bag, but all the songs are soothing and comforting.
Listen to my playlist below if you are stressed or want to relax with some classical music and beautiful voices.
I'm a great believer in the healing power of music. It's as close as we get to everyday magic. Music has the power to lift us out of bad moods, make us remember things we love, help us work through uncomfortable emotions, and heal our wounds.
I listen to an Australian radio station on RadioApp if I feel lonely or homesick. Even a few minutes of listening to Perth talk radio will help me feel connected, and the familiar Aussie twang always warms my heart.
There is something special about radio and the human voice that reminds you of humanity's interconnective nature. Listening to another human voice creates a sense that you are in the company of a friend. I'm not sure about the science behind this, but I'd bet a definite dopamine hit is involved when your ears are listening to music or another person's voice.
This year, I've also been delving into the world of audiobooks, which I haven't really dedicated much time to in the past. I now have a series of celebrity memoirs read by their subjects waiting for me to experience.
It is so special to listen to people recalling stories from their lives. Stories are an excellent way of connecting people and reminding us of our voices and stories.
Lately, I have been enjoying
Miriam Margolyes This much is true.
I feel as if I am on a first-name basis with Miriam; her energy, passion and ability to narrate a story are priceless. She has been such excellent company.
I can't wait to dive into these next few, too:
Billy Connolly is Windswept and interesting
Sam Neil, Did I ever tell you this?
Mel Brooks: All about me
What do you listen to to relax yourself whenever you are feeling anxious?
Thanks for letting me share what's on my mind.
Take care of yourself
Regards from
Rochelle
Sometimes, I talk about Sicily.
Other times, I talk about whatever is on my mind.
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