At some point in my 20s, I learned to sing away the blues. One rough winter, I took to rewriting the lyrics to My Favorite Things. My list of favorites was a lot different back then, but singing about them is an uplifting habit that has stayed with me.
In honor of The Sound of Music’s 50th anniversary, I’ve given the song’s lyrics an update with a little help from my colleagues here in the office, all of us lovers of travel who count European memories among our very favorite things. When the dog bites and the bees sting, when we’re feeling sad, we simply remember our favorite things and then we don’t feel so bad!
Cheers to Julie Andrews and Austria and happy music! (Sing these lyrics to the tune of My Favorite Things.)
Warm Alpine summers out hiking through valleys,
Cobblestone walkways and tight ancient alleys,
Florentine jewelers who sell fancy rings,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Beer in the Rhineland and rich Dutch hot cocoa,
Wine in French vineyards and bacio gelato,
Opulent palaces once owned by kings,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Market stalls brimming with produce and flowers,
Touring museums art-gazing for hours,
Renaissance churches where choirs still sing,
These are a few of my favorite things.
When airfares spike,
When the news stinks,
When I’m feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad!