If you've ever gone on any road trip longer than four hours, you know there are a lot of stages you go through while riding in that car. The crazy amount of time you're in a confined space is something you can pretend to look forward to, but a few hours in you're faced with the realization that long road trips are not for the faint of heart.
1. The optimistic beginning
You're ready to go and ready to entertain yourself for the majority of the day. The people you're traveling with are excited to get going, maybe you even cheer as the car pulls out. It's gonna be a fun day.
2. The sudden drop in excitement
When everyone simultaneously thinks "Now what?" You look around at each other and realize that 5+ hours in a car might be anything but fun.
3. Search for entertainment
You think of all those road trip games you used to play when you were a kid and try them out. Maybe someone tries to read a book. Another person works on finding a bomb playlist you can all sing along to. Eventually everyone finds something to keep them occupied...for a while.
4. Naps Pt. 1
At some point in your car ride, the driver will look around and see that everyone else is asleep. They're left alone with no one to talk to and have to rely on the playlist the passenger picked to keep them entertained. Poor driver. Don't worry, it's not personal.
5. Everyone has to use the bathroom
Eventually the whole car will wake up, look around, and say "Can we stop soon?" You pull over to the nearest gas station to let everyone go, and spend 20 minutes waiting for them to all get back.
6. Extreme boredom
Nothing is entertaining anymore. The music is boring, the scenery is all the same, and the Alphabet game got old real fast. Everyone just wants to get out of the car and be done with the trip. This is usually where someone will ask "How much further?"
7. Peak of excitement
Randomly, someone will think of something to do or will say something that starts up a good conversation, and there's a solid hour or two where everyone's happy and excited to be confined to this tiny space. You think to yourself, "This car ride isn't bad at all!"
8. Everyone's hungry
You've been in the car a while now. All of the snacks you brought with you (to keep yourself from buying anything) are no longer looking appetizing. The boredom is starting to set in again, but now your stomach is growling too. You all start looking wistfully out the window, hoping for a McDonald's or maybe a Dairy Queen you can get some real food at. This pit stop adds another 30 minutes to your trip.
9. Naps Pt. 2
Again, Poor driver. That fast food really knocked everyone out.
10. The finish line
Everyone wakes up and recognizes that it's the final push to the end. You wrap up the game you started two hours ago, you take a couple more bites of your food, and you start to look out the window expectantly at your surroundings. You wait, half bored, half excited, ready to be out of this dang car. Finally the car stops, and you're free.
