After finishing up my midterms last week, I drove myself from school in Rochester, New York, back home to Albany. I usually prefer to drive with friends or to bring road trip companions, but this time I had to take the trip solo. For those who are not familiar with New York state geography, this sounds like it should be a really easy drive; however, the trip is actually a lot longer than one might initially believe. If you have ever driven across the state from Rochester to Albany, you know that even though it is not painstakingly long, it can sometimes feel that way because it is the single most boring road trip you will ever take. This was not the first time I had done it alone, and it will definitely not be the last. After four hours of driving on my own down I-90, I put together a list of thoughts that I usually have and I imagine most people also have while road-tripping by themselves:

1. I am so ready! This is about to be an epic road trip.
2. Time for the radio — let’s get the jams going.
3. I’m getting on the highway, this just got so real.
4. Tollbooth time.
5. Sh*t, I didn’t pull up close enough to the window.
6. The person who gave me the ticket probably thinks I can’t drive.
7. I can’t lose the toll ticket, gotta keep it safe in the cup holder.
8. How does one become a toll-booth worker anyway?
9. When did the radio signal turn to fuzz?
10. Wow, I’ve been driving forever.
11. Just kidding, it’s only been half an hour.
12. This is the worst. I am already so bored.
13. COP! *slams brake pedal*
14. Why do the only working radio signals seem to be Christian rock and Latin pop?
15. I’m just going to plug in my iPod.
16. How do I set the cruise control again? I haven’t done that in forever.
17. God, I’m hungry.
18. *sings* "…and I would walk five hun-dred miles and iiiIII would walk five hun-dred more just to BE the man who walked a thou-sand MILES to fall down at your door…"
19. What a classic road trip song. This is awesome.
20. OMG, is that a Kansas license plate? They’re far from home.
21. MASSACHUSETTS! QUEBEC! OHIO!
22. If only there was someone here to play the license plate game with me.
23. How much longer? Two hours? Time for Adele.
24. I’m a really good singer, wow.
25. I wonder if the people next to me are judging me for the one-man concert I am currently staging.
26. Does my voice only sound good when Adele is backing me up?
27. Sh*t, I have no idea how fast I’m going.
28. Next rest stop, I’m stopping to pee.
29. Just kidding, I can wait for the one after.
30. No I can’t. I have to stop.
31. Did I really need to buy McNuggets and a milkshake?
32. I have to start eating better.
33. Now I have to roll down the windows because I can’t marinate in the nugget stank anymore.
34. No, I can’t drive with the windows down. It’s freezing.
35. I haven’t seen an exit in forever. Where even am I?
36. This is so boring!
37. I have so many regrets.
38. Sixty more miles to go!
39. If I drive a mile a minute, I think I’ll get there in about an hour.
40. That’s not even that fast for the highway, right?
41. I’m under an hour to go!
42. Yes, figured out the cruise control.
43. If only I had done that three hours ago.
44. COP! *slams break* Oh wait, I’m not even driving fast.
45. I SEE MY EXIT!
46. Why are tolls so expensive?!
47. Hey, I know where I am now!
48. I wish I could just teleport between places instead of driving.
49. You know what, I love driving.
50. No I don’t.