What's IN a song?

Isn't it funny how a song can transport you somewhere or to some time(s) in your life?
I grew up listening to James Taylor. I guess because my dad was a fan, not me. I mean, Carolina in My Mind was released the year I was born. But I distinctly remember sneaking his Greatest Hits tape from my dad's music collection when I was in High School and listening to it for hours in my room. And I didn't really know a thing about this music or who James Taylor was, but like so many other people I naturally gravitated to two songs: Sweet Baby James and Carolina in my Mind.
Anyway, my point...what was it....oh, yeah! That song takes me to so many places. Back to my childhood, my HS years. Then in college, when I lived with my friend Lisa. We went on a girls weekend trip to NOLA and she up and met a boy there. Guess where he was from? That was in March and by October, Lisa was moving up to North Carolina to be closer to him and Rudy and I were getting ready to start our life in Las Vegas. That last week while we packed, I heard this song over and over and over and over from under the door of my roomate's bedroom. Now it makes me laugh to think of it. Back then, I am ashamed to say, I rolled my eyes and thought it was a little too obvious.
A year or so later, Lisa married her North Carolina boy. He's a great guy and now an awesome husband and father. They came out to visit us while we lived in Vegas once. We took them to dinner, saw a bunch of the sights. And then we all went to a James Taylor Concert at the Mandalay Bay.
Tomorrow morning, we'll be boarding a plane that will land us in Wilimington, North Carolina to visit our sweet friends whom we have kept our ties with and share life with across miles and miles. And I think I'll listen to this while I pack all day.

Maybe I'll teach Aron to sing it! (Car-o-WY-nuh)

http://the14all.com/music/Carolina.mp3