A long trip is hard already, but driving? It just gets a little harder. I love driving, as long as I know the route already. I have a decently long trip home from college that is two and a half hours long, but I know a lot of my friends have to drive at least six hours to get home! They literally have to drive across the whole state to get home! So I have found that there are a few tricks to make these long drives more enjoyable.

The first is focus on the journey, not just the destination. It is said in all the travel books I know but it is true! Especially in a car ride that is going to take you hours, even ones that you drive during the dead of night to beat traffic. Maybe you cannot take the time to get out to see the sights or that particular drive does not have does not have sights to see. That does not stop you from enjoying the travel! Put on your favorite music, listen to that musical until you have memorized it or put on some podcasts you have been waiting to listen to. You have all the time in the world!

The second is to be reasonable about your abilities to yourself. This is going to be a long drive, most people can drive for about three or four hours before they absolutely need a break. If you can get out every three hours or so to stretch or take a bathroom break or just to eat you will be less stressed and will be able to get destination safer. This is also your chance to see some sites you might not have had a chance to see!

The third? I have found that even if I know the way, or I am sure that I memorized the route- it is always helpful to plug my cars route into an app or my car’s map system. I have had the bad luck running into road construction and detours so my routes always change a little. So it’s nice to have a backup system to help figure out a new route if I do not know the area.

These are my best advice to helping you with long car rides. Remember that the most important advice is to do what is best for you! Trips can be fun, even if you have to drive six hours! So be safe and have fun. I hope your trip is a great one!