Oh hi, warm weather! Nice to see you.
Warm weather means that my campus walks of late have been filled with sights of students sprawled on blankets, cocooned in hammocks, or wildly yelling throwing frisbees at each other (I’m told that this is called Ultimate Frisbee) while wearing all the bright, flowy things that they forgot they owned-the sights and sounds of the season.
Yet, most importantly to me, this weather means it is PRIMETIME for road trips-the kind where you throw your convertible top down (or if you’re like me, open your tiny sunroof), blare some upbeat folksy song that you don’t know the words to but never fails to put you in a fantastic mood, and all but force 1-5 of your friends to join so you can take epic pictures throughout.
Much to my surprise, however, I recently discovered that not all humans join me in my road trip fandom and so, I know seek to remedy that. I found that in my discussions with those that were of the anti-roadtrip variety, there were frequent allusions to the feeling that road trips were just an arduous alternative to an airplane ride that meant exhaustion and wasted time getting to one’s destination.
And so… I came up with what I like to call “Road Trip Remedies”:
- First, discard/burn/bury/whatever you need to do to the idea that road trips are simply a monotonous means to a destination. Road trips can be so much more if you allow yourself to enjoy the journey (which is basically a metaphor for life).
- Dress comfortably but not sloppily. Avoiding easily-wrinkled items is key here, but remember you can dress up items like a t-shirt dress with a few accessories like your favorite hipster-hat and leather belt so that you’ll be both comfortable and Instagram ready.
- Plan to leave early to allow for a few short stops. Don’t resist the urge to pull to the side of highway so that you can frolic in that field of sunflowers and take cheesy pictures with your bestie or stop at the tiny, antique store in that town that is all of a street long and proudly promotes its one gas station. These moments, my friend, are what make the term “road trip” sound more like “adventure” to my ears.
- Make a playlist. Make a playlist of happy songs-songs that you can yell along with at the top of your lungs, using a water bottle as a microphone while convincing yourself that if you just try one more time, you’ll definitely be able to hit that high note.
- Pack snacks. Not much explanation is needed here besides a reminder that food is a blessed thing, and even the best of us get hungry every once-in-a-while. I should also add that hydration is key, especially if you’re going to continue to reach for those high notes.
- CAUTIOUSLY, enjoy the scenery. I know that there is nothing more interesting than those yellow lines surrounded by concrete, but try to remind yourself to glance out the window to appreciate your surroundings whether it be a towering skyscraper or a random herd of cattle-I promise that there is beauty everywhere.
- Breathe. Yes, this is important in the literal sense as well, but humor me with its metaphorical meaning for a second. When on a road trip, you are allowed to just be, you are a traveler with no responsibility at that moment but simply to travel. So allow yourself to breathe deep and make something glorious of the journey, of the time between Point A and Point B.