My traveling cohort Kevin sent me his iPod must-have list. These are only songs, as notes in his email to me, "I didn't inlude any show-tunes...that's a whole other thing!"

702 - Where My Girls At
98 Degrees - Give Me One More Night (Una Noche)
Alicia Keys - Karma
All American Rejects - Happy Endings
American Hi-Fi - The Art of Losing
Anberlin - Never Take Friendship Personal
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Backstreet Boys - The Call
Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business
Black Eyed Peas - Elephunk
Blu Cantrell - Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)
Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name
Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer
Cake - Short Skirt, Long Jacket
Cameo - Word Up!
Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats
Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise
Dean Martin - Hey Mambo
Destiny's Child - Bootylicious
Destiny's Child - Survivor
Destiny's Child - Bills Bills Bills
Destiny's Child - Jumpin' Jumpin'
Eve 6 - Here's to the Night
Fall Out Boy - From Under the Cork Tree
Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High
Gavin DeGraw - Chariot
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
Gym Class Heroes - As Cruel As School Children
Hot Action Cop - Fever For The Flava
Ima Robot - Monument to the Masses
Jason Mraz - Mr. A-Z
Jet - Get Born
Khia - Kwang
LeAnn Rimes - Life Goes On
Lynard Skynard - Sweet Home Alabama
Maroon 5 - Songs About Jane
Michael Jackson - Number Ones
Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion
Missy Elliott - Lose Control
Missy Elliott - Gossip Folks (Remix)
My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade
Next - Too Close
OK Go - Get Over It
OK Go - Here It Goes Again
Rascal Flats - What Hurts the Most
Rockapella - Carmen Sandiego
Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters
Sir Mix-A-Lot - Baby Got Back
The Veronicas - 4ever
Timbaland - Give It To Me
TLC - No Scrubs
TLC - Unpretty
Toya - I Do!
Unwritten Law - Rest of My Life
Will Smith - Gettin' Jiggy With It

Having a swingin' soundtrack is essential to the perfect trip. Think about it this way, in the soundtrack of your life, or rather, during this 5 minute vacation montage of your life, what songs do you want expressing the fun you're having? I know when I went to Chicago, I made sure to download some awesome stuff so I could feel amazing strutting down the Magnificent Mile. My list is shorter, but it's a lot more swing and oldies, and Christmas music...

I also love to download LadyRaptastic podcasts and ThisAmericanLife podcasts, both of which are available on iTunes.