Listening to Music

Music has magical and wide-ranging capabilities. It can lull you into a tranquil siesta or inspire a dance party on the balcony under the stars. Thanks to David and our feature web writer Conner, both of these things happened in Mexico. The two of them made some awesome playlists and saved them offline using Spotify (free). They also packed a couple of Bluetooth speakers for our trip, including the House of Marley Chant Sport BT ($99.99) and the UE Boom 2 ($199.99), both of which were small enough to stow in a carry-on bag.

My only regret is that I didn't pack a pair of noise-canceling headphones for the ride home. I found myself wishing I had packed my Libratone QAdapts ($249)on the return flight when we were left waiting on the tarmac for hours with screaming babies while technicians repaired our plane. If I'd been able to tune out all the noise, perhaps I could have convinced myself I was still at the beach, dozing on a reclining beach chair under a palm tree.