Since I go to school out of state, but within driving distance of home, I have spent a significant amount of hours either sitting in the passenger seat or driving a car. While it is not the most interesting and exciting experience I have ever had, it has most definitely taught me a lot about entertaining myself and keeping sane while cooped up in such a small space for a long period of time. Here are some things that happen when you are lucky enough to take a road trip with or without your friends:

1. Packing up the car takes about an hour and actual years off your life.

2. You end up having to leave half of what you wanted to take with you at home, because your trunk can only take so much maneuvering.

3. It is time to actually leave for the trip, so everyone piles into the car and complains about the amount of space they have.

4. You set up your GPS, or if you are lucky, you have a passenger to do it for you.

5. You mess around with the radio station for a long time until you find a relatively good one.

6. You look for another decent radio station when the song ends on the previous one.

7. You switch to your Taylor Swift CD until someone in the car gets annoyed and asks you to change back to the radio.

8. Repeat that process at least three times.

9. The directions somehow get messed up so you are forced to take a slight detour.

10. As a result of the detour, you decide that it might be best to turn off the music and figure out where the heck you are.

11. If you are alone, you start to think about all the bad things that could happen if this situation goes bad.

12. Quickly, you decide that that idea is stupid and start to think about irrelevant things. For example, how many times you would have to fill your gas tank if you could actually drive around the entire world. Or, what life would be like if you owned a Range Rover, you know... normal things.

13. If you are with friends, you are most likely going to play some car games like the license plate game, or other games like "What Doesn't Belong".

14. Then comes that point in the ride where everyone is either complaining about being hungry, having to pee or both.

15. So you stop at the nearest McDonald's.

16. Once everyone is less irritable, it is time to resume the second half of the trip.

17. Everyone is having a great time, and then suddenly, everyone is a back seat driver.

18. You explain to the passengers that your driving could be a lot worse if you tried, and that makes them silent, which allows the Taylor Swift CD to play for the fifth or sixth time.

19. By the time "Blank Space" comes around again, you are finally at your location, just in time for everyone to avoid listening to your favorite song for the twelfth time.

20. You mentally prepare for the ride back!