Growing up, my family always drove from place to place. When vacations didn't consist of visiting other family in different states, they were usually heading to one of our great national parks. Imagine driving across the country to Montana... it's a long trip. To pass the time, my brother and I always watched movies, played games, and usually bugged our parents. Most importantly though, I gained a lot of love for road trips(as long as I'm not driving for too long at a time...or at all).
There are a few stages that I'm pretty sure we all go through during road trips.
1. Preparation.
So you're going on a road trip. You pack snacks, water, a book to read, movies, pillows, blankets, and anything and everything you think could entertain you. You make a playlist for the trip, making sure to add songs from different decades and genres, but that are all great songs to belt out. In this first stage, you're super excited and looking forward to your trip.
2. The Beginning.
The excitement of the trip is in full flow. You got in the car, turned on the tunes, everyone is chatting and having a good time enjoying each other's company. You might even switch drivers during this stage, depending on who likes to drive and who doesn't.
3. The Argument.
It never fails. Every road trip has an argument of some sort. Sometimes you'll argue over what song to skip, because no one wants to listen to Justin Bieber, am I right? Another common argument is where to stop for food. It's inevitable that once your family or group of friends is in the car, everyone wants something different to eat, even though you all craved the same thing all week but couldn't find time to meet up. Usually this stage is short lived, but sometimes it turns into a grudge or a grumpy mood for the rest of the drive.
4. Getting Lost.
No matter what type of GPS or map you use, you always end up missing a turn, making a wrong turn, or thinking you know where you're going and then getting lost. Sometimes it's your own fault, but I'd be willing to bet it's usually because Siri didn't reroute you yet. (Hopefully) this stage is abandoned quickly, because you obviously have somewhere to be!
5. Exhaustion.
Everyone starts getting antsy. None of the songs on the playlist that you spent 5 hours making seem to be the right one, no amount of coffee can keep you in a cheerful mood, and you must be crazy if you think you're going to be able to fall asleep in the car without completely reclining and putting your feet up on the front center console. I mean, I'm barely over 5 feet and could never seem to stretch out enough in the car. Everyone needs to get out of the car and stretch, but you keep on chuggin' along. This usually kicks in when the sun starts going down or during the last leg of the trip.
6. The Landmark.
If you've made the same trip before, there's always that one thing you see that indicates you're close to your destination. Maybe it's a gas station or road construction that's been there for years, but regardless, it's your marker that lets you know you're getting close. All of a sudden everything looks familiar and you aren't so tired anymore. "Are we there yet?" turns into "I recognize these places" and "I remember that statue!" It's such a relief to see something you recognize when you realize you've finally arrived.
Road trips have a tendency to make some of the best memories, inside jokes, and stories. Sometimes it's a lot to handle being in the car with the same people for hours, but it's definitely worth every minute when you realize its less about the destination and more about how you got there.
