Roadtrip Essentials

Photo by averie woodard on Unsplash

I've been on countless road trips. Which is what happens when numerous people in your family hate flying (like my mom) or you're afraid of planes (like I was). When I was 10, I went on a cross-country road trip from NJ to California with my cousins, aunts, uncles and my grandmother. When I was 23, my three college besties and I drove to Myrtle Beach, SC for our first vacation together. When I was 29, all my cousins and I went to Portland, Maine for a long weekend, which was our first and only cousins trip (but I keep hoping we'll do another together!). But there's so many others I could name. And after going on my last road trip to Providence, RI with Alexa, it occurred to me that I know exactly what I need for the car ride to be an enjoyable, fun experience.

1. The right friends (or family!)

This applies to all trips, whether it's by plane, train or car, but it's worth saying anyway – make sure you're going with people you enjoy traveling with. But on a road trip especially since you'll be trapped in a car together for hours!

2. iPhone and car charger

I don't know about you but I rely on my phone to be my GPS and source of music. Which means I lose battery fairly quickly. I recently got a two-port car charger since I usual road trip with a friend and it was the best idea ever. We both can charge and switch off when needed.

3. Music, music, music

I can't do long-distance driving without music! I've always been in the habit of creating playlists for every road trip I take or as is the case with Alexa, we have an ongoing collaborate playlist specific for our road trips (we're up to 100+ songs). The music has to be upbeat or at the very least, sing-along-able.

4. Chatter

When I'm in the backseat of a car filled with more than two people, I tend to be the person staring out the window, lost in their thoughts. But when I'm the driver and/or in the passenger seat, I like to talk. It keeps both people awake and able to navigate. A fun game that Alexa and I had going throughout our last car ride was asking each other our top 5's. We talked about top 5 fantasy movies, top 5 contemporary young adult couples, top 5 actors, top 5 female characters. You get the point! Any time I started to feel a bit sleepy, we'd start another round of these and it would wake me right up!

5. Snacks and fast food

I like to optimize for less traveling time which means: bringing my own snacks (chips and candy!) and food that can be easily eaten in the car while I drive (aka fast food). My favorite meals for on the road include McDonald's, Nathan's and Dunkin Donuts.

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What are your road trip essentials?