Much to my dismay, my family and I always went on road trips while I was growing up. All of my family on my mom’s side lives in Canada, so we’d make the trek to go and see them. I used to hate these road trips with every bone in my body. As a little 4-year-old, I usually got car sick, which required my parents to let me get out of the car to “take a breather.”

But, we still carried on at least twice a year, every year, with these long nine-hour car rides. Besides playing games and using my beloved portable DVD player, my parents played lots of music in the car to keep my dad awake at the wheel.

Many of the songs they played blended in and sounded the same. With U2 or Pearl Jam constantly on repeat — which I can appreciate now — I would just tune it out. But I remember before one road trip, my dad went and got a few new CDs to play. One of them was one of his favorite albums, although my mom didn’t want him to play it with me and my brother in the car because of the profanity in most of the songs.

He must have compromised with her since he was allowed to play one of the songs because it was very similar to a musical we knew and loved. That’s when he introduced me to rap and the hypnoticness of Jay-Z. “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” could not be farther from the reality of my life as a first grader from Maryland, but it seeped through my brain waves like nothing else.

From there, I was slowly allowed to listen to some other Jay-Z songs that were mom-approved. Even today, I still find myself listening to “The Black Album” and “Public Service Announcement” with one of the best openings to a rap song. You could catch me singing, “Allow me to re-introduce myself / My name is Hov, oh, H to the O-V,” all through Interstate 95 as an 8-year-old.

As technology started to advance, my parents splurged for a family iPod Touch. My parents then started a new tradition: Before every road trip, each one of us would get $5 to spend on songs for the iPod. We’d all tell my dad what songs we chose but would keep our selections a secret.

When we all piled into the car, we shuffled the new songs each of us picked, excitedly waiting for our songs to play. It soon became one of my favorite parts of the trip and made these road trips a little more fun.

My mom always went for her favorite new wave tracks. Filled to the brim with synthesizers and hair spray, my dad was not much of a fan of these songs — but my mom was obsessed. They were the songs she grew up on, and I didn’t initially give them much credit.

As I got older, I started to appreciate these new wave songs and artists much more. She would play The Cure nonstop, and the more she would play it, the more I would get it. Now one of my all-time favorite songs is “Just Like Heaven,” and the electric guitar riff throughout the song feels like pure joy. And I mean, come on, who doesn’t love a little synth?

The Cure’s songs are infectious, and don’t even get me started on “Boys Don’t Cry” — the band’s songs just make you want to get up and dance. Even more “ultra” new wave bands, like New Order, have stuck with me from those road trips and seeped into my listening habits.

I’ve gone back to these bands years later and found my own favorites, such as “Age of Consent” or “Dead Presidents II,” and been able to show it off to my parents. So much of what I listen to now is based on these road trips from when I was so little.

Now that I’m in college, these road trips happen less and less frequently. Going at least twice a year turned into maybe once a year if the whole family can agree to come together. I may not have always expressed it, but those road trips were always more fun than I let on.

Passing the iPod from one person to the next and queuing the next song was always the best part. Whether it was my brother choosing some random Drake song or my dad queuing up his signature “Temple of the Dog,” we always jammed out together in the car.

Those memories and the music we played from those road trips will last with me forever. It may not be the same, but every time I listen to these songs, I’ll think of these road trips.

So, thanks, Mom and Dad. I guess my Spotify Wrapped won’t be too bad because of it.

​“Jam Journal” is a rotating column featuring a new Daily Trojan editor in each installment commenting on the music most important to them. Stefano Fendrich is the managing editor at the Daily Trojan.