It's the staple of a million coming-of-age stories. You -- and a few partners in crime-- find any excuse to take off down the road with a vague destination and an even more vague idea how to get there. An,d yes, the fun of leaving the ordinary behind for a week does count.
I recently got roped into a four-day ride-along to Flathead Lake, Montana. If that seems like a weird place to drop life and head for, it's because it is. I later found out it had been picked from a map at random.
Here are seven reasons to ignore your boring obligations and do something fun instead.
1. Discovering the sights.
I've traveled outside Oregon less than half a dozen times, but until this trip it never occurred to me just how little of my country I've actually seen. Even a short drive out of your comfort zone becomes a reminder that the U.S. is bigger and has more disparate scenery than almost any other nation in the world.
Montana, a 14-hour drive from Oregon, looks like the surface of another planet. We spent a day hiking and driving through smoke from the forest fires in Washington and Oregon, which only made our first day there more eerie. But when a night of rain dispersed the smoke, our view of the lake more than made up for the onset of bronchitis.
2. Building new memories.
Remember the time your buddy drank too much and fell in a fountain on their way out of that restaurant?
Maybe you're the one in your group (no shame in it) who takes accidental dips? Either way, you aren't likely to forget it happened, and road trips build the kind of laughs worth looking back on (and lording over people).
3. Meeting new people.
On our way back from a canoe trip to Wildhorse Island in the middle of the massive Flathead Lake, the wind whipped up a powerful current that started sweeping our boats back no matter how hard we tried to advance. I was seriously considering heading to shore, and just carrying the boats the rest of the way when a vacationing couple waved us over to their lakeside yard and let us dock.
The break from rowing against the wind would have been nice enough on its own, but these two kind strangers gave us water (we'd forgotten to bring any, and were pretty dehydrated), loaded the canoes in their truck and drove us back to the renter's lodge. It was completely refreshing to be treated so well by people we didn't know, and it spared us a lot of heavy lifting.
4. Rediscovering old people.
College plays havoc with your relationships. When was the last time you saw your best friends? If they aren't at the same school, it's probably been a while. Taking care of your responsibilities is the mature decision, but don't let working become your life instead of a means to have more time for you. Take a break to reconnect and catch up on everything you've missed. Chances are, there are at least a couple of people who'd like to hear from you.
5. The food.
I could slap number five on a list by itself and call it a day. The road offers an endless supply of awesome food (unless you're broke, so budget carefully). We found several out of the way diners and restaurants I'd be glad to have back home.
6. Photo ops.
If you spam your camera phone like me, road trips are an easy way to spruce up your Instagram feed with something other than selfies and cat videos. Here are a few from our recent trip.
Rural Montana shrouded by smoke from Washington's forest fires, ak.a. the Twilight Zone.
Micheal attempting a round of Starcraft in a moving vehicle.
A Wildhorse Island deer, born in an environment devoid of natural predators. We were able to walk within just a few feet of the wildlife.
7. The journey is as rewarding as the destination.
I can't stand traveling by airplane. Conditions are cramped, the food is god-awful (always bring your own) and the stress in the air manages to sap the majesty out of flying, something that should be incredible and awe-inspiring. While planes are more or less a public space, being in a car with friends just makes you feel at home. You can talk about what you want, eat when you want, and go at your own pace. Flexibility is what you get on the road, and the choices you make at every stop make for a more spontaneous and memorable journey.
