Road trips are classic and a must if you live in America! Everyone should experience the hate-love relationship with road trips, especially if you are the driver (this is the worst, 10/10 don't recommend). Here are the seven stages of a road trip. This might bring back flashbacks that you were trying to forget. Don't say you weren't warned!
1. Shock And Denial
The first hour or so seems relatively normal, but then it hits you. The realization that every minute that passes feels like an hour. This road trip is going to be a loooonng one, bubba. Buckle your seatbelt and drive (safely, of course, follow those pesky speed limit signs).
2. Pain And Guilt
The pain comes in after sitting on your behind for the last couple of hours and it is completely and totally numb. Fun times!
3. Anger And Bargaining
You start to bargain with others in the car to get them to drive. For example, "I'll give you this entire package of beef jerky if you drive for the next hour." Most bargaining deals fall through because nothing is worth having to drive for long periods of time. So, you gotta suffer even longer! It's a party, now!
4. Loneliness And Reflection
This occurs when everyone else is asleep and it is just you driving along with your own piercing thoughts. This is when you start getting weirdly philosophical and start thinking about life as a whole. An example of this would be, "Why do humans need cars? Cars create pollution and pollution kills the ozone layer. I'M RUINING THE OZONE LAYER BY DRIVING THIS CAR."
5. The Upward Turn
This is when you start to chill out a little bit more. You are also all of the sudden extremely determined to get there as fast as possible. Oh, the speed limit is 75 miles per hour? Let's go 90 miles per hour.
6. Reconstruction And Working Through
Everyone at this point is awake now, so you're not all by your lonesome like you were. Everyone is talking, and the GPS says less than 100 miles away from your destination. So close, yet so far!
7. Acceptance And Hope
The music is blasting, this is the best you've felt in hours! Everyone is excited and the GPS says you've made it, congrats! You've survived yet another road trip! When's the next one?
