A friend recently described his trip home to NYC during “Rom Com” season aka shoulder season aka Spring or Fall. This too is my favorite time to travel, no extreme temps, (theoretically) cheap flights and a calmer adult-to-child ratio at tourist hotspots.

Last month I left a classic “Grey May” San Francisco for an oh-so sunny Lisbon, Barcelona, and Albstadt. Two weeks of being nowhere familiar was exactly the escape I needed after a rough month of layoffs, egg-freezing, and the ensuing WTF brain haze. I practiced Portuguese on street cars and sipped white port, savored Vermut and tapas lounging on a friend’s patio, and celebrated a decade of long-distance love in an idyllic German countryside lodge. The quality time with community, delightful culinary discoveries, Gaudi architecture, and a shift to a slower Mediterranean state of mind was just what I needed. I returned refreshed and ready for a summer of music.

Alas, this mix was made in Spring and its eccentric content represents the highs and lows of the past season. Truly, when times are challenging, I retreat from new music – returning to the auditory weighted blankets of old playlists and film soundtracks; providing comfort and familiarity when the foggy future and uncertain present overwhelms. Therefore this season’s playlist represents two different music discovery chapters – the pre-chaos period of early Spring, sunny shred jams and forest folk and the post-chaos period of late Spring, a mix of global tunes that thrummed in my earbuds while getting lost on cobblestone streets. As we reach Summer Solstice eve I’m feeling more grounded and hopeful than I have in a long time, which feels like a celebration in its own right. Hopefully, a few of these oddball tracks will join you on road trips, around the campfire, or wherever your summer adventures await.