"Oh the places you'll go, oh the things you'll see..." word to my man Dr. Seuss for quotes that I have just recently come to live by. Before I started to write this article, I went and found "Oh, the Places you'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss just because it felt right.
As I was reading it for the first time in a long time, I realized that this little ol' children's book is one of the most creative and inspirational ways of saying "The world is yours and yours only, now go get it and don't let anything stop you." No matter how old you are, go back and read that book and you will come to realize the exact same thing I did.
It will push you in any direction you want to go because your dreams only die when you let them.
With that little opener, let me tell you the four main reasons why you MUST go on a road trip before you die:
1. ADVENTURE
Honestly, who doesn't love a great adventure? I promise this is what you'll get. No matter where you are going on your road trip, whether it be to the mountains of the west or the beaches of Southern Cal. or Times Square in New York City, be assured that adventure is lurking around every corner.
There is something new to explore every inch of every mile you travel. Put your phone down and just look out the window (as long as you aren't driving) and learn to enjoy life without that metal rectangle in your hand. Don't let the long hours in the car stop you because THAT is PART of the adventure.
Play your music and play their music and listen to podcasts and play those silly games your taught as a kid... the possibilities are endless on this adventure!
You'll learn to get reeaaaalllll close to whomever you are road tripping with though, so you better like them. Stop at landmarks, stop at national parks, stop at roadside attractions, and most importantly of all, stop at good restaurants when you can. Don't let adventure find you, but you go find adventure.
It's everywhere. And its waiting.
2. Solidarity
You're on your own. Depending on who you go with, it's up to y'all to find your way and plan your trip. There is no one else to rely on (especially in the middle of nowhere, you don't even have Google) and if finding your way on your own isn't one of the most rewarding things there is, then I don't know anything.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with asking for help, especially when you need it, but sometimes it's not there. Sometimes its just you and your road trip companions and knowing that all you have is each other... that's what really brings people together.
The highway and backroads are very lonely places from time to time and being able to just relax with the few things you have being thousands (!) of miles away from your home is a skill that you must have. And if you don't have it then, it'll come to you quick. No worries.
3. New Experiences
Now this is one of the coolest things about road trips. Being born and raised in the south, we have our own culture. We have our southern drawl, our sweet tea, and the SEC baby.
Now imagine driving 20 hours west and having absolutely none of that. Everything you have ever known is gone and nothing is the same. And then you drive north 10 more hours and everything has changed again! The fact you get to experience so many new things, culturally, in your own country is crazy.
You ever had armadillo jerky or even ever heard of it? Go to a remote part of the South West and you will 100 percent find it along with animals you never thought would be turned to jerky. "You want some fry sauce with that?" This is Utah's version of Zaxby's or Chick-Fil-A sauce, but just the name throws you off.
Can you only use it on fries? Only Utah residents can answer that question for you. Every place you visit will be different and honestly, I could turn this list into two things: number one and number three. Those two things are enough to get me to jump in my car right now and just GO.
4. New People
Just picture this. You have your campfire going, it's getting pretty big, and you are starting to be very proud of it. Then, three cute, Southern California girls walk up to you and ask you to come help start theirs. As a rookie outdoorsman, I know just enough to get by out there in the wild, but when someone sees your fire and asks you to help with theirs, that really shoots your confidence through the roof.
After I made their fire better than I made ours (southern hospitality, it's that culture thing), they invited us over for some s'mores, which, at the time, were MUCH needed. This is one of the many different experiences I have regarding meeting new people on a road trip.
Be a social butterfly and you'll be surprised how many people are willing to converse with you and even more surprised of how nice most people can be.
