Music Travel Repeat → Backseat Benedictions: Music For A Road Trip → Vol. 18
The Ones Who Love Again Edition
When choosing music for a road trip, you most likely are reminded that life is full of crossroads. Those moments when everything feels like it could go either way. You stand at the intersection, looking back at everything you’ve been through, wondering if it’s worth taking that next step forward. You think,
I know that feeling. I’ve stood at that very same intersection more times than I can count. And here’s what I’ve learned: the journey is rarely about knowing exactly where you’re going. It’s about finding the courage to keep moving forward, even when the road ahead is unclear.
Volume 18 of The Backseat Benedictions is for those who feel like they’ve been beaten down by life, those who feel like they’ve failed too many times to try again. It’s for the ones who are starting over, who are looking for hope and redemption, and for those who are ready to open their hearts to a second chance. Because that’s exactly what life offers us — the chance to begin again. And sometimes, all it takes is a good song, a long drive, and a willingness to embrace the chaos of it all.
A new year is always a perfect time to try again.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned through years of writing, traveling, and reflecting on this wild ride we call life, it’s that music has a unique power to heal. It’s not just background noise. It’s the soundtrack to
and every moment in between. Whether it’s the hum of a familiar tune in the car, the thrum of a guitar at a concert, or the soulful lyrics that seem to speak to your soul, music is there for us when we need it most.
Take a song like Marianas Trench’s “Who Do You Love”. It’s not just about love — it’s about finding a way to start again. Even when you’re tangled in the weight of your past, even when you feel stuck in your own brokenness, this song is a reminder that the possibility for new beginnings is always there. We can choose to love again. We can choose to forgive, to move forward, to let go of what holds us back.
Music doesn’t demand perfection from us. It doesn’t care if we’ve made mistakes or failed in the past. It simply says, “You’re still here. You can still try. The road ahead is waiting for you.” And that’s the kind of reminder we all need when we’re facing the unknown — whether that unknown is a road trip to somewhere new, a fresh start in a new town, or just a moment where we decide to open our hearts to what’s next.
I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to many places in my life — from the bustling streets of New York City to the quiet corners of Tijuana, Mexico. But what I’ve realized over the years is that the real journey isn’t about the places we visit. It’s about the people we become along the way.
When I started writing Backseat Benedictions: Music For A Road Trip, I knew it was about more than just music. It was about connection. It was about healing. And it was about understanding that the road is never as straightforward as we hope. Sometimes, it’s messy. Sometimes, it’s painful. But always, it’s full of potential.
all of these experiences have led me to one simple truth: we are never as far from redemption as we think we are. We just have to decide to take that first step. The journey isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it.
Take Hozier’s “Movement” for example. There’s something beautifully raw about this song. It speaks to the light that waits for us in the darkest of times. Even when we feel lost, even when we feel like we’ve wandered too far off course, music has a way of pulling us back. And travel? Travel does the same. There’s something about stepping into a new place, feeling the weight of your past lift just a little, and realizing that you’re more capable than you thought.
Music + travel = transformation.
It’s that simple. Whether you’re driving through the desert with your favorite songs on full blast or sitting in the front row of a concert, feeling the music vibrate through your bones, these are the moments when we rediscover ourselves. They’re the moments when we start to realize that we are capable of more than we thought. They remind us that we don’t have to be defined by the mistakes we’ve made or the struggles we’ve faced. We can always choose to begin again.
In the chaos of everyday life, it’s easy to forget that every day is a gift. We get caught up
But when we take a step back and look at it all, we realize that the beauty is in the mess. It’s in the moments when things don’t go according to plan, when the path is unclear, and when we have no choice but to trust that the road ahead will lead us where we need to go.
The truth is, none of us have it all figured out. We all have our baggage. We all have our scars. But as OneRepublic’s “Start Again” reminds us, every end is just the beginning of something new. Sometimes, it takes a breakdown to have a breakthrough. Sometimes, it takes falling apart to finally start coming back together.
That’s the beauty of second chances. They don’t require perfection. They don’t require us to have all the answers. They simply ask us to keep going, even when the world tries to tell us it’s too late. It’s never too late to love again. It’s never too late to forgive yourself. It’s never too late to start fresh.
When I think about the greatest acts of courage I’ve witnessed, they’re not the ones where people fight to win. They’re the ones where people choose to be vulnerable. Choosing to let your guard down, to admit that you don’t have all the answers, to ask for help when you need it — that’s the real strength.
Songs like Vance Joy’s “Lay It On Me” remind us that
start with vulnerability. When we open ourselves up to others, when we choose to embrace our flaws and imperfections, we find that we are capable of more than we could have imagined. We find that we can love again, that we can begin again, that we are worthy of second chances.
I’ve been on both sides of this — both giving and receiving
And in every instance, it’s the moments when I was most vulnerable that I found the deepest connection. The road is full of challenges, yes. But it’s also full of moments of unexpected joy, of beautiful connections, of love that catches you off guard and shows you that everything you’ve been through has been worth it.
If you need to sit with the songs instead of the words, the full playlist is waiting — one continuous ride, no skips, no distractions ( keep scrolling for the video playlist)
There’s no map for life. No clear-cut directions to tell you
But that’s what makes it worth living. The unknown is
Whether you’re on a literal road trip or navigating the figurative road of life, remember this: you don’t have to have it all figured out. It’s okay not to know exactly where you’re going. What matters is that you keep moving forward, one step at a time. And when you need a little push to keep going, put on your favorite song, hit the open road, and let the music guide you. Because the road ahead? It’s always open. And it’s waiting for you to walk down it.
This volume of Backseat Benedictions: Music For A Road Trip is a reminder that we are all on this journey together. That we can always choose to start again. That the power of
can heal the wounds of the past and lead us into something better.
So, wherever you are, whatever you’re facing, know that the possibility to begin again is always within reach. And as you take the next step, remember that it’s not about perfection. It’s about progress. It’s about finding the courage to love again — and to trust that the best is yet to come.
Catch you in the chaos,
Haha Bailey