Road tripping is an art. There is no one way to do it, but of course, there is set of unspoken rules and tips that go along with the process and journey that is a good old fashioned road trip.
1. Bring an AUX cord and/or speaker
I cannot express enough how important it is to bring an aux cord and/or on your road trip. It doesn't matter how much you love to talk with you friends, I can guarantee that after 3 hours of nonstop talking you will want to throw yourself out the window. Bring some music for those moments when you just want to chill instead of sit in complete silence. Plus, music makes everything more fun.
2. Come up with a fire playlist
This is a must. You might not have the exact same music taste as your all your friends in the car with you, but that just makes for more fun so you can explore music that you normally would not. Make a collaborative Spotify playlist and get to adding those songs that make you feel happy and carefree.
3. Bring a charger for your speaker and/or phone
If you are using a speaker to supply the tunes, have a charger with you that you can use to keep said speaker alive. The same goes for a phone charger; when you're using Google Maps to direct you to your destination you can't have your phone 2 percent away from dying. Make sure your car charger is ready to go!
4. Snacks
As a person who is very fond of all things food, bring a truckload of snacks. I am definitely guilty of eating when I'm bored and usually convincing my friends to pull over so I can grab a snack which only ends up delaying our trip. Pack snacks in the car for those mid-day cravings.
5. Come prepared with a good attitude
If you're going on a road trip, odds are you are probably waking up at the crack of dawn. No one likes a negative Nelly at that hour. Of course, I'm not asking you to start singing at the top of your lungs and do cartwheels to the car at 5 AM, but be sure to be mentally prepared for the long day ahead of you.
6. No falling asleep
As nice as it is to take a quick nap in the car when you're on a road trip, do not be that person that falls asleep for the majority of the time on the road. If the driver is up, you should be too, it's only fair.
7. Get a good night's sleep the night before
I speak from experience when I say, a good night's sleep before a road trip is crucial. Although you are not doing anything extremely strenuous when you sit all day in the car, it is still mentally exhausting and you wind up feeling gross at the end of the day. If you're already running on only 3 hours of sleep, this is not going to help that after road trip feeling. Do yourself a favor and rest your body before the trip.
8. Liquids are good, but don't overdo it
Too many liquids = full bladder = bathroom breaks = delayed trip; don't be that person asking to stop at every single pitstop because you ordered a Big Gulp at 7/11. Stay hydrated, of course, but know your boundaries, folks.
9. Make sure you're with good people
If you're with people who you genuinely enjoy being with and love to talk to, then you are in for a great road trip. Keep an open mind, your spirits high, and your company happy!
10. Have fun
Very important and hopefully, very obvious. No matter where you are going, remember that the whole point of the trip is to have fun. Be excited about driving around in new areas, exploring is all part of the fun.
Be safe and happy road trippin'.
