My Go-To Playlist for Wandering on a Road Trip

Buckle up and let's get going, it's gonna be a wild ride!

First, I have quite a few "road trip" playlists. One is called "Songs for Cruising Down Blue Sage", which is specifically only played when I'm driving down a certain backroad to a river. It's mainly got old country and a little bit of Tracy Chapman and OneRepublic. I've also got "Car Ride in a Coming of Age Movie", which brings up all of those old songs that used to play at the end of movies that made you feel all bubbly inside. And then there's "Don't Look in the Rearview Mirror Unless You Want To Sob", which is for when you're leaving somewhere special, and "Songs That Make Me Feel Like Lexi Hidalgo", which is my go-to when I don't know how to feel or, more importantly, where I'm going.

Second, I think music has the power to make your day better, your road trip a stunner, or your smile a little brighter. Or all of those things at once. I think there's nothing better than listening to "Heroes" by Ben Rector as your airplane touches down on an island, and I think there's also nothing better than "Mountain Sound" by Of Monsters and Men playing as you drive through Glacier National Park. And I also think there's nothing quite like loop laps with tears streaming down your face and "Feel Again" by OneRepublic blasting.

Now, let's talk about the setting: you're cruising down the road. Any road. You've got the window rolled down and your hair is down and you've got the AC cranked on high. The music is all the way up, you're contemplating life and home and choices, and this comes on:

"Brazil" by Declan McKenna

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears

"Saturdays" by Twin Shadow

"Feel Again" by OneRepublic

"All That and More" by Rainbow Kitten Surprise

"Build Me Up Buttercup" by The Foundations

"Annabeth" by The Happy Return

"Paradise" by Jeremih

"Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" by Edison Lighthouse

"You're Beautiful" by James Blunt

"To The Mountains" by Lizzy McAlpine

"In the Moment" by Outerskies

"Swimming in Stars" by Wayfarers

"Like Real People Do" by Hozier

"Somewhere" by LANY

"Moments We Live For" by In Paradise

"King of the World" by Young Raising Sons

"Shine a Light" by BANNERS

"Got It In You" by BANNERS

"Someone To You" by BANNERS

"Back Home" by Andy Grammer

"Brand New" by Ben Rector

"Verge" by Owl City

"There She Goes" by Sixpence None the Richer

"Top Down" by BROWN & GRAY

"(what i wish just one person would say to me)" by LANY

"Beat This Summer" by Brad Paisley

"20s" by Bow Anderson

"Get Out of This Town" by Carrie Underwood

"Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman

"Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak

"Young" by RaeLynn

"Go to Mexico" by Coffey Anderson

"23" by Wilfred

"Heroes" by Ben Rector

"Put Me in the Ground" by Daniel Nunnelee

"What Makes a Man" by Ryan Nealon

"Mountain Sound" by Of Monsters and Men

"Tom's Diner" by AnnenMayKantereit & Giant Rooks

"Living My Best Life" by Ben Rector

"Ophelia" by The Lumineers

"Moving On (So Long)" by Blue October

"Take Yours, I'll Take Mine" by Matthew Mole

"Young Man" by Jamestown Revival

"Three" by Lauren Alaina

"Maine" by Noah Kahan

"Miss Me" by Andy Grammer

Are you done imagining that? Pretty sick, right? I think it'd be really cool to be driving along a national park, or a Hawai'i road, or through a brand new city at night, while listening to these songs.

I'd think that be amazing.