I’ve spent much of my time as a member of the Washington and Lee University Odyssey team writing about music that makes me feel some “type of way” (thank you Rich Homie Quan, for all that you do). As that very special time of year approaches us once again — that time of year during which we pack up all of our belongings, shove them into the trunks of our cars, and embark on those long road trips back to our colleges — I find myself incapable of allowing one more minute to pass by without presenting my newest road trip playlist. (Seriously, check it out! It’s called “Yung Gra Ta Ta Jams,” and the title truly says it all!) It is a car mix of great dimension. One that includes songs from multiple genres and multiple moods. One that will turn those 8 long hours into 480 minutes of the best jams you ever did hear. It’ll transform the open road into a journey towards emotional, spiritual, and personal enlightenment. Follow me on Spotify for this and other playlists filled with songs approved by yours truly and all of my music aficionado pals.

1. “The Mother We Share” by CHVRCHES
2. “She Wolf” by Shakira
3. “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer
4. “Empire State Of Mind” by Jay Z and Alicia Keys
5. “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac
6. “Kind & Generous” by Natalie Merchant
7. “Wiseman” by Slightly Stoopid
8. “Let It Be” by The Beatles
9. “Sunny Came Home” by Shawn Colvin
10. “Creep” by Radiohead
11. “Climb to Safety” by Widespread Panic
12. “Can I Kick It?” by A Tribe Called Quest
13. “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
14. “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield
15. “Bring Me To Life” by Evanescence
16. “Mr. Bojangles” by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
17. “Touched By An Angel” by Stevie Nicks
18. “Lucifer” by Jay Z
19. “Dots & Lines” by Lupe Fiasco
20. “Come Thru” by Drake
21. “Mr. Jones” by Counting Crows
22. “Paradise City” by Guns N’ Roses
23. “Can’t You See” by The Marshall Tucker Band
24. “Midnight Rider” by The Allman Brothers Band
25. “How Many Mics” by The Fugees
26. “Blood On The Leaves” by Kanye West
27. “Stayin’ Alive” by The Bee Gees
28. “Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst” by Kendrick Lamar
29. “Jubel” by Klingande

And of course…

30. “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac

Who knew that music could elevate even the most downtrodden of souls to that heavenly state of self-love and extreme joy? I certainly did, and all I’m here to do is help you all do the same. Music is a gateway into another realm (as cheesy as that sounds), and whether it’s through Drizzy Drake or Kendrick, the love of my life Stevie Nicks or Paul McCartney, or even Shakira or my homies over in the teenage-angsty band called Evanescence, you’ll be on a new level (shouts out to A$AP Ferg) by the time you reach your final destination. Safe travels, and happy listening, my college-bound followers!