As I write this article, I am currently sitting in the car awaiting a long seven hour road trip ahead of me. This is probably something most people know all too well. Your family decides to take a local vacation, something within driving distance from home. Well, the day is finally here and it’s time to leave, pack the car, and get on the road. Sure this is all fun and exciting… but you know the car ride to your destination is going to be traitorous. Before you even leave the house, everyone is already fighting and you’re not even in the car yet. And when you do get in the car and leave the house you realize you left something behind that you have to turn around and go back for… don’t lie; you know this happens to you too.

The one thing people find difficult about taking road trips is that there isn’t really much to do in such a confined area. So how exactly can you pass the time in the car? For starters, you could fall asleep. Napping is always a good way to speed up the trip. You fall asleep and by the time you wake up hopefully you’re almost there. You could listen to your music, watch a movie, play games, read a book, and even fight with your siblings- that always seem to be a hit in my family. Whatever it is you choose, there is always one common goal in mind and that is to reach your destination in one piece.

“Are we there yet?”

The inevitable question that probably gets asked 10 times within the first hour of the trip alone. We know where we’re going, we know how long it’s going to take us to get there, and we know how long we’ve been on the road, so why do we bug our parents and ask them this question so many times when we know we’re not even close? I think that in the back our minds we have just the tiniest bit of hope that if we keep asking how much longer, then we will some how miraculously arrive quicker than planned.

Whether the ride is two hours away or 20 hours, you know you’re bound to stop at some point which is only going to prolong the trip that much more. Stopping on a road trip is a blessing and a curse all in itself. No one actually wants to stop the car because you know it’s just going to take you longer to get to where you’re going, but you know it’s probably time to use the bathroom and stretch your legs.

Finally, after a long and painful trip, you’ve reached your destination and you can’t wait to start your vacation. You know you’re going to have so much fun, so the car ride there was completely worth the hassle. Getting to where you’re going is the best part of the trip. If it wasn’t for the crazy journey, you wouldn’t get to have such a great vacation.

So, the next time you’re headed on a road trip, just remember to have fun, be patient, and try not to kill each other along the way.