A few days ago I drove across the state with my roommate to watch a track meet. I was dreading the long drive and wasn’t sure I would be up for sitting in the heat for hours, but nevertheless, we packed the car, stopped for snacks and off we went to support our school.

I began to reflect on not only the meet, but all of the travel I’ve done this past year in general all over the state to watch football, track and compete in dance. To me, the long drives have become worth it to support my boyfriend, my friends and my school.

Here are a few perks to all the driving.

1. You get to bond with whoever you’re traveling with.

There is nothing like a boring car ride to bring out some good conversation, throwback music, and don’t forget the endless snacks. I’ve done a lot of bonding in a small car over the past year and because of it, I’ve made some of my closest friends.

2. You get to travel to places you haven’t been.

Okay, so yeah maybe driving everywhere gets old but once you’re there it’s totally worth it. I’ve been all over the place at this point. The early mornings and late nights have let me see some pretty awesome sunrises and sunsets. I’ve seen some beautiful campuses from other schools. The traveling aspect of it is really great.

3. You learn all sorts of routes.

I can’t count the number of times my friends and I have been lost on the way to or from a place. But we’ve discovered some other routes to take and in turn, they’ve benefitted me in future endeavors (and now I know all the shortcuts).

4. You get out of your comfort zone.

Traveling isn’t always incredibly easy. Half the time I had no idea where I was going, I was traveling back to campus at 1:30 am, or we had car problems that stopped us along the way. It allowed me to grow up, take control of my situation and handle things like an adult. I’ve done a lot of growing in the past year of traveling around different places.

5. I've had the opportunity to meet other people.

When you’re always out and about for football games, basketball games, track, dance, whatever it may be, you run into people along the way. I’ve met parents of friends, people from other schools, coaches, the list goes on. I’ve done a lot of meeting in one year.

Of course being stuck in a car, all cramped up and tired can get exhausting. Your wallet can look pretty empty after paying for gas and food all the time. And you might have added a few thousand miles on your car by the end. But the experiences and memories made are worth every leg cramp, every dime, and every mile. I wouldn’t be as close with some of my friends, met as many people or share so many memories with them all (I also wouldn’t have to clean my storage out on my phone from all the pictures, but that’s beside the point). Traveling all over for my school has proven to be nothing shy of an incredible experience.