What I Learned and “UnLearned”
Never in my life did I think I’d ever drive more than an hour or so out of state. That’s how my life is, just jump in with both feet, and that’s exactly what I did. My first road trip was during the pandemic (and it was actually my second road trip!)
A Grueling Ride
When we were first married, my hubs’ grandma passed away. My in-laws were driving to my mother in law’s hometown in Iowa. For many years, they would pack up their station wagon and all six, yes SIX, kids and drive to Sioux City, Iowa! So that’s what we did. The Hubs was so excited to be bringing me to where he spent many childhood summers, meeting a family that To. This. Day. we carry on relationships with.
Anyway, into the car we jumped and started our journey from NJ to IA. My MIL packed the car with snacks and a journal, among other things. On the drive, The Hubs told me stories of those journals and how she wrote gas stops, times they entered states, where they stayed overnight and what they ate. I honestly didn’t care. We were in the middle of PA, and I was already bored of the drive. I had no idea what lie ahead of me…a grueling day reliving memories, driving, driving and more driving. Finally, landing at our destination, I wanted to shower. The water was different, the people were strangers to me, and I was miserably crying in a shower stall stuck in the middle of an unfinished basement!
Are Road Trips For You?
Road trips can be a lot of work. There’s an overwhelming amount of preparation for the adults, the kiddos, the car, the destination! The prep can actually make you decide that road trips are not for you. However, it’s the prep work that will prevent you from crying in a shower!
Road Trip 101
My first road trip was during the pandemic in 2020. I say this was my first because I was the one leading the way. There is a lot of information out there, and I wanted a better experience. I searched for a package that gave me the road map (the 101, the basics) to your first road trip or your 21st!
I found all the pieces, but not in one place. Our road trip ended up being a wonderful memory, and I want your road trip to be the same. So I set out to create The 101 on Road Trips, beginning with this blog about my journey and these simple, yet powerful, checklists!
Back to the Future
If 2020 has taught me anything, it is to be ready for everything! We have family in “Paradise”, so why not jump in the car and drive? The Hubs was not on the same page as I was! I was shocked! Wasn’t he the one who wouldn’t jump on a plane all those years ago? Now I’m told if we cannot fly, we’re not going.
I dropped the subject…for a day! After a Wednesday night virtual training session, I matter of factly announced that I would not spend my first vacation of 2020 at home. I was driving to Paradise with or without him. Whether or not I really would’ve done that, we’ll never know, because 5 minutes later, The Hubs decided we would drive to Paradise together!
Taking The Leap
Like I told you, I’m a “jump in with both feet” kind of girl, so I fired up my search engines and read all I could absorb that evening about how to make road trips easier. I was writing lists fast and furiously. Then writing lists of my lists! I even wrote a list of activities for us when we got bored.
Since we had barely a day (and we both work day J.O.B.S.!), I planned everything out on a tracker, summarizing all my lists.
Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail!
Not us! I’m a planner. We decided we would leave super early, at 4am. This left no time to prepare anything except coffee for the ride. Since it was a pandemic, we did not want to stop for anything but gas for the car and restroom breaks to stretch and refresh. The plan was to get to Paradise in just one day with minimal stops.
Fuel up – meal prep
Our plan was to get to Paradise in one day. Therefore, we had to limit our stops. Meal prep was easy since it’s something we do as SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). We busily made breakfast wraps, lunch sandwiches and small bags of healthy snacks we could eat in the car. Pro-tip is to cut everything into bite-sized pieces like you are feeding a toddler!
Fuel up – car prep
Make sure you fill up your car with gas the night before you leave. The point of the first hours of your trip is mileage. We left at 4am and completed many hundred miles before our first rest stop stop.
Drink Up!
This is probably the most important tip (and probably should be first!). We bought a case of 16 oz. water and froze half of it. Half went into the cooler and the warm half into the truck. As we drove, we rotated the warm water to the bottom and let the frozen water refrigerate everything.
Movement
Right behind keeping hydrated is keeping muscles oxygenated. This is pretty tough when you’re stuck in the passenger seat of a truck for 16 hours! However, we figured out a way. In between gas stops, we got out for restroom breaks and short walks and stretches. If I got bored, I had my resistance bands packed so I could move while in the passenger seat.
Lifestyle
Being in a car for 16 hours while you anxiously await your destination can be exhausting (and boring!). The Hubs and I never run out of conversation. However, I created music playlists and podcasts we could listen to. Pro-tip is to use the podcasts to encourage discussion and learn from each other!
Bottom Line on Road Trips
I suggest using a basic list to lead your way. Road trips can take many turns, for instance, if you have children you may not want to drive 1,000 miles in one day, or if your car/truck isn’t brand new, you may want to consider a rental. My best advice is to make sure you have a road map (aka list) to ensure you have all the basics. Once you have that, you can layer on your personal details! Grab your checklist now and start planning!
Wait, wait! Before you go!
I would be totally honored if you’d drop a comment below, and let us know if you take road trips and your advice 💜
