Several years ago, as I found myself minimizing my belongings for the journey to Philadelphia, I decided to sell some furniture on Craigslist.  A woman called about my couch.  We chatted about the condition of the upholstery and the softness of the cushions. Standard small talk.   After we agreed on a price, she asked me where I was moving.  And then, there was her response:

“Oh, Philadelphia?  I lived there once for a while.  I felt like everyone else was covered with sandpaper while I was walking around naked.  I came back to Portland as soon as I had a chance.  But good luck…it might be better for you.”

I shuddered as I hung up the phone, promising myself that Philly wasn’t THAT bad.  After all, it was the “City of Brotherly Love,” right?   And I was about to have an amazing career opportunity.  That wasn’t going to happen for me in Portland any time soon.

Fast forward to now…Early Sunday morning, I’m catching a flight to Portland, OR to begin a new adventure (with old friends in a familiar place).  The last 3.75 years in Philadelphia have never been easy, but I’m grateful for new friends and experiences I’ve had on the east coast.  It’s the people in my life that give me the most fulfillment and meaning…and I’ve learned something from everyone I’ve met here.  Of course, sometimes these interactions have been merely cautionary tales in broken trust and disappointment.  But more often than not, my Philadelphia friends have brought me some of the most precious moments, the kind that I force myself to remember over-and-over again, hoping to imprint them in my mind forever.

And so I have made a mixtape entitled Eastern Standard Time, a musical scrapbook of all of the individuals that have shaped my East Coast experience.  Some tracks are old; others are new…but all of them are tied to specific Philadelphia memories.  Hopefully this will the first of many Swap Meet mixes.  You can download it here:  Eastern Standard Time.

Track Listing:

1.  When Planets Collide—Viva Voce

2.  Sheila—Atlas Sound

3.  When I’m With You—Best Coast

4.  I Wonder—Dom

5.  True Affection—The Blow

6.  Ramona—The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

7.  This Time Tomorrow—The Kinks

8.  Rain On—Woods

9.  Think About Me—Fleetwood Mac

10.  Heart of Chambers—Beach House

11.  Bur Oak—Bowerbirds

12.  Irene—Caribou

13.  There’s an End—Holly Golightly

14.  Rivers, Veins, & Roots—Mimicking Birds

15.  Phenomenons—Twin Sister

16.  The End of Things—Bachelorette

17.  Fourth Time Around—Yo La Tengo

18.  Big Jet Plane—Angus and Julia Stone

To maintain track order (it’s important!), please create a new playlist in iTunes and then click and drag the folder to import.