the nostalgia of a mixed tape.

So I drove to New Hampshire today (does anyone else hear 'New Hampshire?!!?' and think about the movie, 'What About Bob?'  Please someone get that!!).  A few friends from work were heading to the mall in Rockingham for a shopping trip, which is about 40 miles from Boston.  Yes, I drove all the way to another state to go to the mall but whatever.  I barely have any friends in Boston.  I have to make sacrifices. 

The radio sucked this morning so I rifled through my glove box and found some old mixed tapes I'd stashed in there.  When I moved from L.A. to S.L.C., I came across a bunch of mixed tapes that I'd made in the late '90's to early '00 and I stuck them in my car because I didn't know where else to put them.  Plus, I figured they'd come in handy since the only place I can even play tapes is in my car.  So imagine my joy and surprise when I pulled out this mixed tape titled, 'All my favorites in one!!'  And boy, is it good.  Here is a sampling of what it holds...

Isn't it amazing the memories and nostalgia that a song can hold?  As some of these songs came on, (like that Jonatha Brooke song or any Patty Griffin... do yourself a favor and download some of their music) tears sprung to my eyes as I remembered times in my life... some happy, some sad... things I hadn't thought about in years... and remembering all of it and hearing those memory-filled songs made me overwhelmingly happy.  I don't know why.  Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones.  Maybe it was the leftover endorphins from my morning run.  But whatever it was made me realize that life is great.  My life is great.  And sometimes I might not remember that.  It was wonderful to have that reminder.  Thank you, mixed tape circa 2001.  You were just the reality check I needed today.

Let's hear it for mixed tapes!

Did you ever make mixed tapes?  What was your favorite 'type' to make (dance, work-out, brooding, gettin' down)?  I remember spending hours planning the music and the order of the songs as setting the mood of the tape was just so important!  And I always loved making moody/brooding-type mixed tapes.  Maybe I'm all emo at heart.