For years, whenever I’ve felt the urge to escape from the doldrums of everyday life, I’ve turned to video games. To me, these games have always been marvels of storytelling because I don’t just get to hear a fantastic hero’s tale: I get to be the hero. In A Familiar Journey I attempt to encapsulate the sense of nostalgia I feel when I think back on the many adventures I’ve taken part in over the years playing my favorite video games. The piece follows the typical story arc of a hero’s journey. I’ve stitched together cutscenes from many beloved, classic games to take the listener on an adventure - moving from lively hometowns, to the ominous lairs of the villains, to tragic death scenes, to intense boss fights, and to a spirited celebration once the evil has been vanquished. The main theme of the piece is first introduced by the English horn. This simple melody, or some variation of it, reappears throughout the piece in various forms – sometimes featured prominently, sometimes fragmented and used as a rhythmic device – before returning to its original form at the end.