A friend of mine recently tasked me with naming 5 songs that signified different points in my life. Not necessarily my favorite songs but ones that would instantly bring me back to a specific era. Sounded like an easy task but was actually quite hard to pinpoint those actual songs.

1. Summer of 69 - Bryan Adams

This brings me to my teenage years. Hearing this song reminds me of a field trip in Grade 11, when we all thought we were so cool and before we realized there could be repercussions to our actions. We were also the babies of '69 so the song seemed to be somehow about us. I remember the first time I saw the video and recognized it as being filmed in Vancouver. It seemed so bizarre, this was just before Vancouver really got to be known as Hollywood North and when 21 Jump Street was still just a few years away. The song also has a strong moment in my life when I was travelling through Europe. Most of the people in our group knew Bryan Adams was Canadian and kept teasing Leigh and I about it. There was one particular night in the south of France, after a few too many bottles of wine when she and I sung the song beginning to end a capella in front of a campfire. Oddly, I did not quit my day job.

2. Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard

This is my early 20's when I thought I was an adult but really wasn't there yet. The song takes me back one particular summer where every night was a different party. As most of my friends were working in the hospitality industry (read: restaurants) the nights would begin after most estabishments closed. We'd spend hours on the beach with bonfires or dancing up on the speakerboxes until closing. Part of me misses those carefree days, but I would never want to be there again. The world seemed to be revolving around us and we couldn't imaging having real responsibilities. There's a moment that stands out strongly for me when my ex-boyfriend, his best buddy and I sat staring out into the river while we discussed plans to open our own restaurant/bar called the Fuzzy Nerdz. Last summer, I was out with my niece and her friends and was brought back to that time when they too talked about their own bar. Time flies but it really just stands still.

3. Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners

Even though this is more of an 80's tune, this song represents my travelling years. It seemed to be playing in the background at the most perfect moments while I was away. A toga party in Rome on my birthday, in a small cafe in Capetown, and emanating from a pub in Brighton, England as me and two of my friends linked arms and swayed down the street singing at the top of our lungs.

4. With Arms Wide Open - Creed

A bit cliche, but it seems to embody our whole family pulling together for Hayley. I wonder if it wasn't for her if our family would be as close as it is today. I hear this song and am transported back to Shannon holding a 2-day old Hayley saying "Oh my god, she is really really here."

5. Live Like You Were Dying - Tim McGraw

This seems to be a bit overplayed right now but it is representative of my 'now'. Since my health started to go sideways, I've come to appreciate how special and precious life is and how tenuous it can be.

It's an interesting exercise and I can really say only 3 of the 5 above are songs that I would actually consider 'my favorites', but they still can be very powerful when I hear them.