Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had a slight obsession with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I remember taking roadtrips in my dad’s white Ford crewcab truck, squishing four across the backseat and sharing a seatbelt so all five kids could fit in the car. We even got to roll down the windows on occasion, which was a big deal because we weren’t allowed to do that in Mom’s van. :) I remember listening to Neil Young, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Shania Twain, the Dixie Chicks…and of course Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. They were my absolute favorite. A roadtrip literally wasn’t a roadtrip without listening to the Tom Petty’s Greatest Hits cd. 

As I grew older, kids started leaving the house. We sold the big white truck. I went off to college. I distinctly remember missing home my freshman year, and plugging in my headphones for a little Tom Petty music therapy. I think I’ve done this quite often since then. It’s always made me feel closer to home. Even if I don’t know every song (which I definitely don’t…I think there are hundreds), the music is comforting. I don’t know if it’s the familiarity of his voice or what, but Tom Petty spells home to me. It reminds me of my childhood, and of my parents.

My dad left an exciting voicemail on my phone today. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are going on tour, and coming to San Diego on June 2nd. It’s always been on my “bucket list” to go to a Tom Petty concert with my dad (see the right column of my blog for the list in its entirety), and I might finally have that opportunity!