Everyone has taken a long car ride and has been bored out of their minds. The trip seems to never end, and you end up feeling like you haven't moved in traffic from the last hour you checked to see how much longer you have to go. I recently made a long car ride and thought I would share the ten things I have done in the past and still do today.
1. Listen To Music
Everyone loves music so why not take advantage of it in car rides. Before the trip download a lot of music you like or find a radio station you can jam out to. When you start listening to music, you get carried away with singing and dancing and that time can fly.
Above I have posted seven songs from Itunes, from the Top 100 Chart. You can sure find a good tune just by these seven songs. I know that I love numbers two through six!
2. Write Down States From Licenses
Ever wonder if you have seen people from every state? Try and keep track. For example, if you pass someone with an Alabama license write down you have seen Alabama. Write down every different state and at the end of the trip go back and mark off the ones you have listed twice and count to fifty to see if you made the mark. It keeps you busy and if you have others that join along, you can come close to getting fifty or even get fifty! You can also make it a competition for those who are competitive.
You can also print out a picture of the U.S. and color in the states you see!
3. Read
I always love to read for a long trip. I read for a long period of time without putting the book down on car rides. It seems that when I am at home reading I always get interrupted or distracted. Car ride reading is where I read the most and get involved with the story. A good book is always a necessity!
I just finished this book and it is such a good book! I really suggest it to anyone of all age groups.
4. Take a Laptop
There is a bunch of things you can do with technology! I always like bringing a laptop instead of a tablet because I can do just as much with a tablet as I can with my phone. I bring my laptop specifically for movies. I am a movie fanatic, so I have a wide selection of movies I choose from and then I take a whole bunch with me. It will keep you busy for two hours, so why not?
These are all of the movies I have recently brought with me on my last vacation. Can you tell I love movies?
5. Enjoy The View
Obviously with traveling you are most likely going to have a view of the interstate, but there are places you pass that you can actually look and see how beautiful Earth is. Every time I go through certain parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia I take time and stop what I am doing to just sit back and look at the mountains, trees, and valleys. It might not be much to do for a long period of time, but always remember these are things you don't always see every day when you travel.
6. Sudoku Puzzle
Any puzzles are a great way to kill time! I just personally love Sudoku puzzles because it's not too challenging for me, but challenging enough to take up some of my time. Sudoku consists of finding numbers 1-9 to fit inside a box without repeating the number. It really does seem simple, but when I get on a roll I get ahead of myself and make a mistake of repeating the numbers. Of course I don't know I have made the mistake until the end when I can't find out why the puzzle isn't solvable. So if you get ahead of yourself and like puzzles, Sudoku might be the perfect puzzle for a car ride. Also, Sudoku doesn't give you a headache like most puzzles do!
7. Coloring
I still color on long trips. You might color outside of the line from the occasional pot hole or break check, but it is a fun way of seeing how well you can color while riding along. It helps clear the mind and make you focus. Focusing helps distract you from the hours ahead of you being stuck in a car.
8. Sleep
Sleeping is my personal favorite. I always end up taking a hour or two nap, so why not catch up on some sleep? The only hard thing about sleeping in a car is finding a comfortable position that doesn't put your arm and or leg to sleep. Once I find a comfortable spot, I am always down to take a long nap. The best part about sleeping is when you wake up and you wonder how long you've been asleep and how much closer you are to your destination.
9. Drive
If you are travelling you might as well offer to drive some. Driving can be used as an advantage too. If you have a slow driver — like my mom — you can offer to drive and cut a few minutes off of the arrival time. If you don't like to drive fast then you can just take the wheel in your hand and give it a shot to see how far you can go!
10. Phone Time
Phone time is when you text everyone that you need to and tell them where you are at and that everything is going fine. Who isn't on their phones these days anyway. Sooner or later you are going to be on your phone. I try and do a few activities I have listed and then check my phone. If you're on your phone, you might as well see what is going on with your friends from all the different social media sites and get involved that way too. It gives people time to post more about what they are doing today! Also I like to add in a few games that I play on my phone.
These 10 things are what I do on long trips. I do not get car sick though. I wish I could write something to do for those of you that do get car sick, but I have no idea what that feels like. I hope the next time any of you travel, you remember a few of these ten things and keep busy that way because I know how boring long car rides can be! If these 10 things seem like a good idea, don't forget to share the article!