Podcasts You Should Be Listening To

I was late to the party but now I can't get enough. I had heard about podcasts and was vaguely aware of them, but hadn't listened or downloaded any. I had even recorded audio for a podcast I would be a part of but I had never taken the time to listen to any. I do enjoy listening to talk radio and as a child of the 80's I'm a big fan of background noise when I do anything mundane. I spend a lot of time in my car and the music on the radio stations was starting to get a bit redundant. I was looking for something new, so I put it out there and did what any grown woman does, I asked my friends on Facebook what their favorite podcasts were. I downloaded all of them. I spent time listening to them and weeding out the ones that I didn't really like and downloading more of the ones that I did. Really, it was all in the name of research {you're welcome} so that I could put together a list of the best podcasts you should be listening to.

Podcasts You Should be Listening To

I know there will be ones I will miss. These are just the ones that are downloaded on my phone that I am enjoying or have enjoyed. They are the podcasts that got me hooked. Serial-Forgive me for being obvious, but like I said, I was late to the party. One story is told and as it unfolds over the season, you go through twists and turns in the plot as characters develop and stories play out. There are two seasons of Serial and they must be listened in order.  S-Town-I loved the Serial podcast so much that I didn't hesitate to download this new series from the same creators. What started as an e-mail letter from a fan in small town Alabama led to an interesting unearthing and unpacking of a man's life. There is strong language, so if that's difficult for you to listen to, this podcast probably isn't for you. This American Life-To say that I'm a fan of anything WBEZ puts out would be an understatement. I love how well written and thought provoking these podcasts are. Each week a new topic is presented and covers everything from hormones to the refugee crisis. Stuff You Missed in History Class-I've got to be honest, I missed a lot. I love this in depth podcast that takes an interesting look at those things in history that we probably should know but the details are a bit fuzzy. Stuff You Should Know-Another fun look at things you probably should know, but don't. Instead of googling it, why not listen to it?
The Way I Heard It With Mike Rowe-My family loves listening to this together. They are quick 10 minute or less stories based on true stories with a twist.  The Happy Hour with Jaime Ivey-This podcast feels like you are eavesdropping on a good conversation between girlfriends having coffee. It covers topics from parenthood to faith and everything in between. Sorta Awesome-I'm always looking for new awesome things, and this podcast has me covered. They cover documentary and book recommendations and explain topics like adoption. It's another one of those podcasts where it feels like you are sitting in on a private conversation taking notes on things you want to check out next. The Moth-I love hearing a good story and these recorded stories are told live. Each week 2-3 stories are told generally around a certain theme. They are a quick listen and are generally entertaining. RadioLab-While I generally pick and choose the shows that interest me from this podcast from the wide range of topics that are covered, I enjoy digging in deeper to the topics that they cover.  Missing Richard Simmons-Seriously, if the fact that this podcast made the list is any indication that I have indeed been living under a rock, I don't know what else would be better evidence. I was vaguely aware of this podcast and remember some controversy about Richard Simmons going missing, but no spoilers hit me, so I was blissfully aware as I listened. If you are like me, and you have no clue about the controversy surrounding this exercise guru, give this one a listen.  World Vision Podcast-Remember that audio I told you I recorded? You can find an interview with me on episode number 3. I am passionate about the work that World Vision does around the world and talk about my experience seeing their work first hand in Uganda and Zambia.  I know there are some that I'm missing that you all love, so hit me! Leave me your favorites in the comments. I would love to hear what you are listening to and loving. 
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