When I bought a sound recorder a few years back, I had no idea how loud humans are. There are just so many of us! To be fair, I have really good hearing. My mom says I have bat ears. I often relate to Brick Tamland from the movie ‘Anchorman’: 
Basically that is me in a nutshell; especially when I am recording.
Sometimes I wonder if Abraham Lincoln were to arrive on my doorstep today (#agirlcandream) what would be the most shocking aspect of modern life to experience: Internet, airplanes, microwaves, social media, mobile phones, Love Island, Vanderpump Rules…? So many things to list! But for me, my guess would be the sounds. These noises have become so much a part of our lives that we barely notice them. Unless I am recording. And then, it is a cornucopia of sounds.
Besides smells, I don’t know what other medium brings me right back to a particular time and place. Hearing a particular sound puts the memory on speed dial; makes my brain work a bit more as I am not depending on a visual.
Today I went for a hike at Otay Lakes. It was a beautiful day. Cool breeze. White, fluffy clouds against a blue sky. Sparkling water gently moving with the wind. Birds chirping. And then when I turned on my recorder… motorcycles racing, speed boats roaring, single engine planes overhead. By stopping and listening, I thought to myself… we are loud. And I also (reluctantly) understood that I am going to have to get up a lot earlier to capture the quiet sounds of this beautiful little pocket in San Diego.
