Summer just doesn’t seem like summer without a road trip! If you’ve ever taken a long journey with your sibling, you’ll surely recognize these stages.
1. Yay, adventure!
You’re pulling out of your driveway at home, and the sense of anticipation begins to build. This could actually be fun! You’ve got everything you need: snacks, drinks, a kickin’ playlist, etc. Bright-eyed and coffee energized, it’s time to hit the road. Even your sibling seems to be in a good mood. Let’s hope the optimism lasts because for the next several hours, you’re trapped in a car together.
2. Good music.
This is the time where you showcase the best of your music. From top 40 hits to indie bands you’ve probably never heard of, if it’s good, you’ll play it now. There may or may not be a low-key competition between you and your sibling to see who has the best music. This stage will most likely involve impromptu karaoke.
3. Storytellin’.
Like being around a campfire, but without the fire, smoke, or s’mores. Chances are you’ve been on the road for a while now but your energy levels are still high, and you’ll share stories about anything and everything. There’s never been a better time to tell your sibling about the time you rode in the trunk of your friend’s car, or when you were dumb enough to do the cinnamon challenge. It’s also fun to reminisce about all the crazy stuff you did when you both where younger. But don’t forget: what happens in the car, stays in the car.
4. Weird music.
By now, you’ve been on the road for a few hours. You’ve run out of stories, most of your snacks, and good music. A silent car is a boring car, and you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel with playlists deep in the recesses of your phone. Anything goes if it’s remotely interesting. No one needs to know you listened to What Does The Fox Say in 2016.
5. Hangry.
This is arguably the worst stage of the trip. Hunger is the path to the dark side. Hunger leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering- wait, that’s not right. The hangry stage actually leads to the drive-thru, after a battle of “I don’t care where we eat, you choose!” and a few choice words slung around out of frustration. The car is silent, except for the sounds of munching, until you and your sibling are no longer hangry and can return to non-aggressive forms of communication.
6. The longest boring stretch.
The highway around you looks deserted. The last town you saw was called Buckatunna, Mississippi. This is the most grueling leg of the journey and boredom is setting in, fast. If you’re lucky enough to be the passenger, you might be able to catch a quick nap to pass the time. If you’re the driver, I’m sorry. Entertainment has taken on a tinge of desperation: replaying music, playing mindless games, counting cars, daydreaming, etc. It seems as if you’re never going to make it back to civilization until you begin to recognize you’re nearing your destination.
7. We’re here.
Home free! It took hours to get here but you’ve finally arrived at your destination. You and your sibling are desperate to get out of the car and spend some time away from each other. Yet, neither of you will deny that the road trip was actually kind of fun. Hopefully your ride back home will be just as fun too!
