Mariah Koeneke
CONTRIBUTOR
Each day, I commute about 45 minutes to work from my small hometown. Whenever I tell people this, the usual responses are, “OMG how do you do that”, “I would get so bored”, and “Why don’t you get a job closer to home?”
The main answer that I tend to give is, it isn’t that bad. I’ve made my drive feel like 15 minutes rather than 45.
I started listening to podcasts a few years ago once I moved home and had to adjust to my new commute. I randomly found a few true crime podcasts on Spotify that instantly had me hooked. Thinking back, this is also what triggered my true crime obsession.
The first podcast I got hooked on was And That’s Why We Drink. Both hosts, Em and Christine, are passionate about paranormal events and true crime happenings. This podcast hooked me almost immediately. I would start an episode when I pulled out of my driveway and before I knew it, I was at work with thoughts full of ghostly tales and true crime on the brain.
The next podcast I found was Wine and Crime. This one ultimately became my favorite. Not only did it leave me with a slight Minnesotan accent from time to time, but it also taught me about whatever topic they were covering. Three Minnesota-native women, Amanda, Kenyon and Lucy, cover the psychology and background of a topic, and then they dive into a few true crime tales about said topic. I found myself learning so much about topics that I didn’t previously have a rolodex of information on.
Each time I discover a new podcast, I get lost in the waves of information. I enjoy learning about new topics, especially if they are true crime related.
Before I started listening to podcasts, I found myself bored at the wheel. My drives felt so hauntingly long, and I didn’t look forward to them. My most recent road trip to Colorado felt like four hours instead of nine with the help of my trusty podcasts. Now I have weekly new episodes of my favorite shows, and not to mention so many more podcasts are out there for me to discover.
So, next time you go on a road trip, increase your commute, or even clean the house, pick out a new podcast and submerge yourself in the ocean of information that is out there.
