Roadtrippin' all day long

Sorry this post is a day late. See, Berlyn posted hers a day late last week and since I'm a follower and love her so much, I thought I would do the same. Not really... I was just busy on a road trip. So here I go!

One of the top things on my Things I Really Really Love list is road trips. My goodness, do I love them. The longer the road trip, the better (as long as I'm not driving... I hate driving so much...).

I'm actually on a super mini road trip right now. Half of the girls on the floor of my dorm packed bags for a Seattle/Edmonds/Kirkland adventure. I'm actually on our way back to WWU in Karissa's car with her, Rakia and Megan as we speak. We're listening to an amazing mix CD (road trip necessity number one) turned up quite loudly and lost in our own thoughts (well, I'm typing this, but I'm sure I'll be lost in my own thoughts right after I'm done). I'm feelings pretty content.

Every summer for several years I went on a two-day road trip with my brother and father to Southern California to visit my Aunt Kathy in Huntington Beach. Twelve hours one day, ten the other day. I'd wake up at 3:45 in the morning and be so full of excitement that I wasn't tired at all. It's comparable to a little kid waiting to go to Disneyland, except for the fact that this happened until I was a month shy of nineteen years old. Ice chest packed with Diet Coke and pretty nasty frappachinos, we were set to go by 5 am.

Now, we might have different views on roadtripping, but let me tell you what I think are the necessities for such an adventure:

Road trip necessities:

1. Extremely wide selection/variety of music. I'm a huge fan of mix CDs and playlists. I try to create a compilation that will please everybody in the car and still manages to have a good flow to it. Since I'm a perfectionist and also slightly neurotic, this takes me hours and sometimes even days or weeks. Southern Rock is a must for my California road trips but the vague genre of alternative is more fitting for the spring time Oregon trips. Music can make or break the experience in my opinion, so it's always a good idea to get a head start on the selections if possible.

2. Food. Do not forget the food. Even if the road trip is only two hours long, somebody is going to end up saying "OH MY GOSH I'M SO FREAKING HUNGRY!" and I would rather hand them a box of Cheez-its than listen to complaining. Water and caffeine is also a staple if the trip is long. Falling asleep at the wheel is probably not a good idea. Just sayin'. And I'm definitely one for staying awake in the passenger seat the entire trip. I don't want to miss out on anything, even if that anything is just sitting and staring out the window pondering the mysteries of life. On the way home from Eureka, CA this July, Ryan and I were traveling together (which was SO AWESOME by the way) and at some point Ryan realized just how tired he was. Since there was no more caffeine, it became my job to entertain Ryan and keep him alert so we wouldn't crash into a tree (that tree could have been a PERSON!! Oh, Tyra Banks...) or something. That was fun and all, but I'm sure Ryan would have rather sipped on a Monster energy drink than listen to me ramble on about nothing. Probably.

3. Something to do (if you're a passenger. If you're just driving, you should probably concentrate on driving. And singing if allowed.). For me, I usually pack a bag full of stuff to do during the car because I tend to get restless if I do the same thing for too long at a time. So I pack my journal with a couple pens and pencils, a notebook for doodling or notetaking and such, a good book or two (not a good idea if you get carsick... vomit scented car freshener does not exist for a reason), a camera, and an iPod if the whole mix CD thing doesn't work out in your favor. Harry Potter is my favorite to read during road trips. I also used to be quite the fan of bringing my Gameboy Color along for the ride. I've also played Battleship with Tasha during two separate road trips, spaced four years apart. Cards don't work well unless you have a fancy car with a table or something in it... Okay, moving on.

4. Uh, gas money and directions are probably a pretty good idea...

5. Good company and some sense of adventure. I'd rather walk to my destination than be shoved into a car with people I don't like. Enough said, I think.

There are many more things that a road trip can call for as well, such as a pillow for the sleepy backseat passenger who doesn't actually like road trips but just wants to go wherever you're going, sunglasses, phone charger, and probably more that I'm forgetting.

Basically, a road trip is much more than getting from point A to point B. It's an experience, and it's easy to make the experience a good one.

Any road trip stories or your own version of a list of necessities you'd like to share? Go ahead and post them!

-Kim