If we're being totally honest, this is a large reason for the trip. That overused "it's not the destination, it's the journey" phrase pretty much sums this up. You find beauty in the trees and corn (hi, Ohio) and that really nice car that just zoomed past you. And after a while the placelessness of the highway may start to get you down. After a while, every reststop and exit ramp looks exactly the same. But then you see the sunset (or sunrise, depending on when you're driving) and all that washes away. There's noting quite like experiencing the beginning or ending of a day while chasing after somewhere you long to be.

2) Stories

One of the other key reasons for a road trip is the people. You are going to be confined in a space with them for hours. You're going to have emergency pee breaks. Someone will spill a slushy. The only way to find good moments in peeing at the creepiest gas station on earth is to be doing it with people you love. Because when the radio is only serving up Christian talk shows and country music, you're going to talk. You're going to hear stories about 4th grade boyfriends and terrible color theory teachers. You're going to share stores about terrible vacations and the stingiest food you've ever had. And hopefully, if all goes well, you'll come out of the trip with more great stores (have I told you about the dog running down I-70 yet?).

3) Stupidity

If you have a car full of people you love, things are bound to get a little stupid. People will be barefoot, you may have walked for miles all day, you will not care. You may witness two people try to trade pants, you may be one of those two people. But noting will top the games you will play. And I don't mean "whoever finds 10 red cars first wins". I mean that you haven't lived until you've played the "in my butt" game. The game that finds a way to make all those boring McDonalds billboards fun by adding "in my butt" after the slogan. Yes, it is childish and stupid. Yes it is uncreative. And yes, it has entertained carloads of my friends for hours. Seriously, try it, once you get into the groove of it you'll never see a sign for a hot dog shop the same again.

4) Snacks

At some point you will have to go to a gas station. Either someone will need to pee or the gas tank will be in the red. Despite the reasoning, you will find yourself at some hopeless-looking 7/11 and you will find yourself vaguely hungry. But when you walk into the gas station to get your favorite candy bar, you may or may not loose a sense of self control. Soon the car will be littered with chip crumbs and candy wrappers. Someone will be drinking crappy $2 coffee (probably the driver). And that's not even covering the drive-through you stopped at 3 hours back. At some point you will bring a whole pizza into the car and wonder what you are doing with your life. It won't matter because pizza (and candy, and chips, and Wendy's fries) will be shared with everyone in the car. You will bond over Cheetos fingers and coffee breath.

5) Songs

Last, but certainly not least, is the tunes. Music is the backbone to a road trip. It sets the tone. An AC/DC singalong trip and a NPR Tiny Desk Concert trip are two very different kinds of trips. But in the age of AUX cords, we don't have to hope to strike gold on a song everyone loves. Pass the cord around the car to get a taste of everyone's favorite jams. But be wary, you can fall into a pit of songs from children's tv shows that can be very hard to dig your way out of. Also, someone will try to recommend listening to a podcast, it will happen. Politely remind them that no one will be quite for that as you steal the AUX cord and turn on I'm Gunna Be (500 Miles).

And there you have it. The 5 things that are the very core of every road trip. The reasons driving for hours past cornfields is actually something people love to do. So get your friends, a car with good gas mileage, and get going. And remember "it's not the destination, its the journey"...but driving someplace really cool is the whole reason for a road trip. So I guess, enjoy the whole thing.