Whether you are road tripping to see family, going on vacation in a far away state, or just headed home from college, road trips will probably be involved in your winter break at some point. Make sure your trek is as enjoyable as possible with these ten road trip essentials.
1. A fire playlist
The easiest way to make the time go by is listening to a mix of fire tunes. The playlist is most successfully executed when pre-meditated. Pull up your go-to playlist, throw in some new ones from your Discover Weekly, and maybe even a couple of Christmas songs (it's still okay to play them through January, don't let anyone tell you differently), make a killer queue, and you are ready to hit the road.
2. Cozy blanket
Baby, it's cold outside. Even though you probably have the heat blasting in your car, the ride will be so much cozier if you have a soft blanket wrapped around you.
3. Cozy socks
Speaking of cozy, there is no reason to take this car ride in a stiff pair of boots or laced up in tennies. Kick your shoes off and put on your most plush pair of socks. It is guaranteed to make you feel like you are snuggled up in front of a fireplace.
4. The RIGHT snacks
The biggest road trip mistake is bringing foods that make you feel gross or leave crumbs on your fingers. Instead of cheesy, crunchy Doritos that will leave you feeling greasy and sleepy, I recommend a big ol' bag of pretzel thins and a little container of hummus.
5. A driving shift schedule
Unless you are flying solo, in which case I have no advice for you here, you and your road trip partner should definitely have a shift schedule. Maybe you want to each drive for two hours back and forth, or you want to split the trip in half. Regardless, it makes your turn go by faster and ensures that one person is not stuck with all of the driving.
6. Mini-destinations
Road trips are made so much easier when you can look forward to tiny little stops along the way. Forget about a schedule or what time you will get to your final destination. As a wise woman once said, It ain't about how fast you get there. It ain't about what's waiting on the other side. It's the climb.
7. Car repair kit
You never know when your car will suddenly overheat and you need to dump some coolant into the engine. Or your battery dies from the cold. Or you run over a nail and annihilate your tire. Better safe than sorry, always be prepared with a spare tire, jumper cables, and some other assorted tools.
8. Change
One time, when making the trek from Hilton Head Island to my home, I found myself at a toll booth, fifteen cents short. The toll was $1.25. The processing fees of the ticket I received in the mail for not paying at the toll booth was TEN DOLLARS. I ended up paying $11.25 for a $1.25 toll booth. I wasn't even that upset about the money it's just the principle of the thing. That is ridiculous that I paid that amount of money for a toll. It is still a bit of a tender subject. Always keep ample change in your car, guys.
9. Caffeinated hydration (in small doses)
The key is small doses. Too much coffee and energy drinks, and you will be too jittery to sit still and stopping every thirty minutes for bathroom breaks. Neither an ideal nor efficient way of road tripping.
10. Phone charger
The sum of Google mapping to your destination and bumping Spotify along the way will drain your battery quickly. Always make sure to stay strapped with a phone charger that either plugs into the cigarette lighter in your car, or is battery powered. I have seen solar-powered chargers that work wonders, also! Just sit the charger on your dashboard and cruise away.
Incorporate these ten things and the quality of your road trips will increase exponentially, which will give you a better experience and making you arrive to your destination in a better state of mind.
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