Travel is an amazing thing. It has this addicting feature, once you get a taste of it you can never get enough of it. This summer I had the amazing experience of going on a cross country road trip with my dad and younger brother. We drove all the way from Florida to the Grand Canyon, with many exciting stops throughout the journey.

It was a seven-day road trip with some of our stops including national parks, Sedona, Austin, and New Orleans. I have always been a travel lover, but my fixation is at an all-time high after this experience. Throughout all my different travel experiences over the past 21 years, I’ve learned through trial and error what to do and what not to do, so here are some of my pro tips.

1. Picking the right traveling companions.

Picking the right road trip buddies is of utmost importance because you have to be stuck in very close quarters with them 24/7. So it might not be the best idea to bring the friend who complains about every little thing or has to stop for the bathroom nine times an hour. Bring the friend that's going to bring the most fun and someone who can go with the flow.

2. Have a (loose) plan.

It’s important to find the balance between going with the flow and having a plan. Plan out your route or destinations you want to stop and see along the way, but also be sure to be spontaneous and open to opportunities that might not have been planned. On my road trip, we saw the sign for the Petrified Forest National Park and decided to take a little detour through there. It ended up being one of the highlights of the entire trip.

3. Do research before your trip.

Look up hotels, the best restaurants in the area, the best local scenes, or little hole in the wall places. It can save a lot of time and money in the long run.

4. Go with the flow.

Some things are just out of your control. In my experience, I had to eat Subway for lunch 4 days in a row. Now I will say, that resulted in me coming up with a very innovative hack for warming up a Subway cookie (put it up on the flaming hot dashboard in the sun for 5 min, it tastes fresh out of the oven). You have to be flexible and roll with the punches. For example, we got stuck in a hail storm on the highway in New Mexico. Did we plan for that? Not even a little bit, but like I said we rolled with the punches.

5. Eat snacks. Eat lots of snacks.

My personal favorite mainstream road trip snacks are Twizzlers and Oreos, but I have come to discover many not so mainstream ones. The best would definitely have to be chicken on a stick. It's exactly what it sounds like too, a foot long piece of fried chicken on a stick, and it is incredible.

6. Rotate drivers.

Don't pack the car full of too many people, but definitely make sure there is more than one driver so that you can switch off. Also, whoever sits shotgun gets to be the DJ, that's just the rule.

7. Take as many pictures as you can.

Nothing is more fun than going on an incredible trip, but being able to look back and have hundreds (yes hundreds) of photos to relive that trip is a close second.

8. Be spontaneous.

Being spontaneous can be easier said than done for some people. For me, I have a huge fear of heights but my brother convinced me to go out on a cliff at the top of the Grand Canyon rim to soak in the full beauty and experience because it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I also mentioned before how we stopped on a whim at the Petrified Forest National Park, which ended up being so much fun. On top of that about 30 minutes after we left that park we saw a sign for the giant meteor crater in the middle of nowhere in Arizona, so of course we stopped and saw what the hype was about. Needless to say, it was worth it.

9. Don't go to NOLA with your dad and younger brother...

New Orleans is an interesting and crazy fun place, but I would 0/10 not recommend strolling down Bourbon Street on a Friday night with your dad and 18 year old brother. Save that experience for a trip with your friends.

10. Put your phone away and enjoy the moment.

Taking pictures is definitely a must on road trips, but don't forget to put the phone down every now and then and enjoy the sense of childlike wonder. Take a second and just be amazed at the beautiful world we live in.

Road trips are a great way to see the world, make memories, and share a lot of laughs. Check out the video below that my brother made of our cross country road trip, and who knows maybe it'll inspire you to take one of your own!