Millennials. That’s the name for our generation. It hangs over our head with a daunting cloud. The generations before us use it to critique every little move we make, shackling us to the harsh words of entitled, restless, whiny, narcissistic, and above all else lazy. However, we’re adventurous, changers, dreamers, jokers and complex people. We use it to explain our need for greatness that flows through our veins. Yet for some reason, we waste away our opportunities to escape and go on an adventure.

We only get a few weekends a year where the calendar gives us an extra day. These coveted 3-day weekends deserve nothing short of greatness and are the times when you can disappear from the world and give your soul a chance to heal. You owe it to yourself and to the weekend to make these few days more special than a routine walk down to the local pub. Taking the little time to plan out this weekend will make the biggest difference and can give you the most amazing time of your life.

Decide Where You’re Going

It doesn’t matter who you go with, or even if you go alone on this 3-Day trip, just make sure you know what you’re doing first. Pick a place that’s about 5 hours away and forces you out of your comfort zone. Life is more than the five-block radius around your apartment. Go to that random town that you can’t pronounce, jump into the lake of that national park you’ve been dreaming of for months, watch the sunrise from a cheap motel in a concrete jungle that’s foreign to your eyes.

Spend the 10 minutes that you were going to mindlessly use to check Facebook or thinking of the perfectly clever Instagram caption to Google your getaway. Find where the best burger is, where the sunset is more beautiful than anywhere else, where the loudest waterfall is. Find the lesser known back roads that promise twists and turns. Don’t plan everything out to a tee but make sure you have an idea of what you want to do.

Pack & Prep The Essentials

Before you leave make sure to grab a bag filled with your phone, charger, camera, map, wallet with cash (trust me you’ll thank yourself later after you buy a knight in shining armor statue for $5), hat, sunglasses, hammock (it doesn’t matter where you are because there is nothing better than a hammock I promise) and clothes. Also, make sure to grab some drinks and snacks for your adventure to keep you going. Jump in your car and start blasting your favorite road trip playlist with the windows rolled down and wind flying through your hair.

Enjoy Your Journey

Make sure to leave early so that your whole day isn’t spent in a car. Stop at those run down gas station diners and order whatever the cook says is the best. Pull over for the views that actually take your breath away. There’s the old cliché saying about how the journey is more important than your final destination, and it's kind of true. You’re not going to care about taking the interstate because it saves you 45 minutes when you have stories about stopping by the country's largest beer can or how you jumped into the random pond and hurried away before anyone could chase you off.

Be Present at Your Destination

Once you get to your destination pause. Stare out at the world and just breathe. Don’t talk, don’t take a picture, don’t even move. Just look out at the beauty and paint a picture for your memory. Listen to the sounds, let your nose be filled with the new aroma, feel the wind blow against your skin. This moment will soon pass and you can begin your trip with whatever you want. Leave all your insecurities behind and let the world show you what’s it has waiting for you.

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