Faced with a lot of long-distance marathon driving coming up for the holidays, I broke down last week and bought a new stereo for my car. I’ve resisted this for several years and you would think I could have lived without it for several more, but recently my tape deck has been completely busted. Yes, that’s right — my car stereo played cassette tapes. I mean, it’s not like I had an 8-track player sitting in there or anything, but still, it was starting to be pretty limiting. Especially since it didn’t work. Now I have a nice new stereo with a CD player and an input where I can plug in my mp3 player — yes, I’ve finally reached 2003 and there’s no stopping me now!

While I don’t mind driving long stretches, the right music can make the ride so much better. I’m not even sure if I have particular music I prefer for driving — I think it’s more about the variety. For this, I like to stock my music case with a lot of mix CDs and compilations — some of the best ones revolving around a theme or those made by my family and friends. My fiance put together a really great soundtrack for me over the summer and it has a really great combination of special songs that hold a lot of meaning for us. And they are also perfect to sing along to. I do some of my best singing in the car. Which, granted, isn’t saying a whole lot — but I’m sure it gives the people at the toll booths something to talk about. In a completely different genre, Jamelah sent me my very own mystery mix a few years ago and I can honestly say there’s nothing quite like zooming down I-95 to the strains of George Michael, Ted Nugent and Sir Mix-A-Lot. And poetry about mullets. Yes, there are few things that can make traffic more bearable and so I salute you, mix CD, for making my world (and drives) a better place.

What are some of your favorite mix CDs — or what do you find makes the best driving music?