My parents live in Atlanta, Georgia, and I go to school in Dallas, Texas. Today I drive back to school. It’s about 12 hours driving time—14 if you include lunch and dinner breaks. To be clear, this is not a road trip. Below I have outlined some of the differences between road tripping and simply driving a long distance.
| Road Trip | Driving a Long Distance |
| You’ve got all the time in the world. You take many stops, and they are all somehow scenic coastal views. | I stop twice at gas stations and once at a Pizza Hut. |
| You’ve got the top down, hair blowing in the breeze, and you’re pumping your fist rebelliously toward the heavens. | I do not own a convertible. I would literally need to buy a convertible for this to be a road trip. |
| You’ve got your best friend in the passenger seat. She’s holding an old-fashioned map, but she throws it out the window because you guys want to get a little lost. | I’ve got my trusty bag of barbecue chips and a case of Dasani in my passenger seat. The hardest part of the trip is when I can’t open my water bottle with one hand. |
| You’re probably driving somewhere cool, like through the Grand Canyon. | There are five cities on my 12 hour route. The rest is cows. |
| Your final destination is somebody’s aunt’s beach house just outside of LA. You will stay there for the summer, sharing magical moments with your closest friends. | I need to be back for class on Monday morning. But first I must pick up all my books, move every article of clothing I brought back into my dorm, and cry a little. |
| Everybody else is jealous of your awesome Instagram pictures. | Everybody is concerned for my safety and reminds me not to fall asleep. |
| You get a beautiful glowing tan from all that time spent in the convertible. And it gives you a chance to wear those cool new aviators! | I get a sunburn just on my left arm. I have forgotten my sunglasses. I cannot see for hours. |
| On one of your scenic stops, you meet two other awesome girls on an awesome road trip. You end up creating a life-long friendship with Tasha and Tina. | All the truckers look at me funny when I do my stretches outside my car at the gas station. |
| You feel on top of the world, like you can take on and conquer anything! You are the woman you’ve always wanted to be! | I spend three hours rehearsing what I should have said to that one guy. The regrets continue to pile up until I put in a CD. |
| The music is the soundtrack to the movie of your life. | Did this CD start over once or twice? |
| It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. | Maybe I should have flown. |
I’d like to go on a road trip someday. It seems like the kind of thing an adventurous, independent, free-spirited 20-something would do. But not today. Today is simply the day I drive back to school.
