Still, she was itty bitty (a name I still call her by). Luna was born about a month early, but thankfully strong and healthy. In my mind, I felt like I was Pavlov(ing) them to sleep. Why?Įach night I played Alto’s Adventure, my pregnant wife and unborn daughter were right next to me, enjoying the Zen Mode song right before bed. Now though, the Zen Mode song holds even greater significance - it’s tied to the first night I spent with my daughter and several nights after that. When I first started writing this piece, it was about the connection of the Zen Mode song to Switzerland. It reminds me of walking around Zermatt, Luzern, St. It reminds me of hiking along mountains and lakes. It reminds me of watching breathtaking vistas from various trains. The Zen Mode song reminds me of virtually disappearing into Europe, with only a few people knowing where we were. This was a vast departure for us, as we usually have a lead time of at least three months or more before going on a trip. With our 10th anniversary in the not-too-distant horizon, we decided to take the trip Cynthia had been wanting to do for years, with only three weeks of planning. The Zen Mode song takes me to a time in 2018 when both Cynthia and I wanted to get away. This phenomenon got me thinking about how games or songs can instantly transport us back to a place, a memory, a journey, an entire time-period in our lives.

It reminds me what a special trip that was, and makes me want to go back each time. It reminds me of Switzerland every night. Each time I play, I admire the sun rise and fall behind snowcapped mountains while I flip over sleepy villages and gaping chasms. Why do I bring this up, and why do I play so often? Playing this game before bed, in Zen Mode, with that song, has served to calm my mind many times. Zen mode can continue on forever, but the music, the beautiful, enchanting and calming music takes 7 minutes and 28 seconds to play through one time. In the game, there is something called Zen Mode, where you can fall, run into rocks, plunge into a precipice, and your character will pop right back up and keep going. What’s Alto’s Adventure, and why 7 minutes and 28 seconds?Īlto’s Adventure is a procedurally generated and continuously scrolling snowboarding game. Just about every night, while my wife Cynthia readies for bed, I lay down and play Alto’s Adventure on my phone for 7 minutes and 28 seconds.

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