Let’s have a great adventure…let’s take a roadtrip.
Lately I have heard from friends, family, and some of my former students about the great adventures they are planning this summer. I’m not going to lie, it has made me quite envious. While they are getting out there and having roadtrip adventures to relocate to new and exciting places, they are planning vacations, or just planning day trips to exciting locations. I have been spending my time lately taking my adventures with myself – inside of myself and have decided to make brave new choices for my life. However, while I have been doing the difficult work Chris and I have been planning our annual roadtip to Colorado to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary and to visit family, friends, and see great music at Red Rocks. I cannot wait to embark on that two week adventure.
Road trips are my favorite brand of adventure. Some of the best thinking I do is on the road, in fact some of my best “ah ha moments” I have experienced have come to me while driving. Most of my favorite moments with my favorite co-pilot Chris have been behind the wheel of my black 2002 Toyota RAV-4 and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Way back when I first started driving I would go for long drives in the Bay Area in California. I would get my hands on a little rare free time and some gas money and carefully extend my range and set out for the unknown with the wind in my hair and the music playing loud. It felt like freedom, like I could go anywhere as long as I had the gas money and the time. And I did, it was spectacular.
My dear friend Anna will soon be embarking on the great existential adventure of a lone roadtrip from Colorado to Los Angeles and back again. On her way back to Colorado after adventures in California she will come visit Chris and I in Flagstaff. I want to dedicate this post to Anna and her lone roadtrip adventure. Anna, you get it girl! I’m so proud of you that you for deciding to take this roadtrip and I’m so excited for you to visit Flagstaff. Ever with good intentions and sometimes little followthrough (working on it)I had planned to send Anna some lone roadtrip advice, some must have road trip music, and snacks/candy – which is a must when traveling with Anna. Alas I didn’t allow for enough time to send everything, so I decided to include my advice in this post. Here it is Anna, enjoy!
What must be included in a fantastic adventure in the form of a lone roadtrip and what can a lone roadtripper bring with them to enhance their roadtrip adventure extra special?
1) Music – The music you play on the road should be inspirational, fun, and be able to keep you awake. I prefer music you can sing along with. Music that makes me think is a fantastic addition to the roadtrip playlists and familiar music that brings back memories of good times cannot be bad to bring as well.
2) The Scenery and Wildlife– Take time to take the pretty drive (if there is such an option) and while you do need to focus on the road be sure to take in the scenery. Check out the clouds in the sky, pay attention to the rolling hills, mountains, flat land, and desert. Be on the lookout for wildlife. Some of the most amazing things I have seen in my life have been on the side of the road while I sped by. We’ve seen countless deer, moose, jackrabbits, one roadrunner, huge snakes in the middle of the road, pronghorn, and a few armadillo. Sometimes historical markers on the side of the highway provide a quick rest and a history lesson, don’t be afraid to stop it will not disrupt your schedule.
3) An Open Mind – A roadtrip is freedom with a schedule and a destination. I always tell people who decide to take lone roadtrips to use the time wisely, to use that time to confront things you wouldn’t normally have time or energy to confront. There is a rhythm to roadtrips and a kind of zen to a roadtrip that can be meditative and so helpful when trying to clear your mind. Also, be up for anything – make a loose schedule and take time to get a frosty beverage or an ice cream if the opportunity presents itself.
4) Stay Safe and Make Smart Choices – There is always the need for safety and making smart choices. Take time to carefully plan your route, don’t drive if you are excessively tired, and watch your speed. Nothing puts a damper on an adventure than a speeding ticket or getting lost. Use your gut and listen to your gut instincts in situations. I recommend bringing a sleep mask just in case you need to pull over at a rest stop to take a little nap, just remember to lock your doors and hold onto your keys with the panic button and keep a cell phone nearby. It also couldn’t hurt to set an alarm when you take a little nap so you won’t sleep away your trip – this has happened to Chris more than he’d like to admit.
5) Pack Healthy Snacks and Treats Too – Anna loves her candy, I love munching on apples and Pirate Booty, and Chris loves gummy bears/gummy worms. No matter what you love to snack on make sure you have plenty of it.
6) Must Haves for Lone Roadtrippers – Besides snacks, music, and the basic emergency equipment what sets the lone roadtrip apart from regular roadtrip adventures is the need to do things and pack things that will help you take care of yourself. Here is what I recommend to keep your adventurous self happy, healthy, and emotionally fulfilled. I recommend the following: bring a journal and a good book for writing and reading during breaks from driving. Pack plenty of water, and have ice on hand especially when taking adventures in the summer. Pack ibuprofen, moisturizing eye drops, and gum/mints. I also recommend packing those little packets of tissues, it is inevitable that on a lone roadtrip I will cry whether it is about something that is finally coming up for me, the beautiful scenery, or for no reason at all – it is always good to have tissues.
Life is a great adventure, as we get older there are fewer and fewer opportunities for adventure. So get out there, see the country, and take in all of the beauty that is out there to experience. Take an alone adventure and experience the beauty of a true existential journey. If you see Anna out on the road honk at her and tell her I can’t wait to see her next week.
spectaculareveryday 