There’s a reason the phrase “family road trip” produces lots of groaning and eye-rolling. Anyone with siblings and over-enthusiastic parents knows that these trips entail backseat fights, bathroom emergencies, wrong turns, and more I-Spy and license plate games than any sane person can take. Honestly when my parents decided to take our family of six on a RV trip across the American Midwest, I thought (and still think) that they were absolutely crazy. Whether you’re in search of survival tips or you’re simply curious about what happens when you put a family in a portable house for a month, this one's for you.

1. There will be LOTS of singing.

When spending eight or more hours in a small space with 6 people in it, books on tape and good jams really come in handy. Unfortunately for me, my iPod nano decided not to work and we got the same Christian rapper’s CD stuck on repeat for the entire month.

2. Walmart sightings are rare and require slamming on the breaks and an immediate turn into the lot.

Dependable food, free WiFi, clean bathrooms, and freezable ice pops- what more could you really want?

3. The embarrassment of pulling up in one of these.

Having to watch my parents failed attempts to park this in downtown Sedona, Arizona and getting stopped by a cop for going the wrong way was bad enough, but somehow having "1-800 RV 4 Rent" and a happy little family of fellow hikers plastered on the sides made it even more cringe-worthy.

4. The many sources of entertainment available.

All time not spent hiking or driving is limited to filling out Junior Ranger booklets or sitting by the fire in a wobbly chair.

5. The constant struggle of finding WiFi.

Yes, my parents really went the extra mile. We kept a daily family travel blog that they actually let us kids write s our friends and family could see (and definitely laugh at) the whole experience. If we happened to find a connection in a bathroom stall in Bryce Canyon National Park then that's where the blog was written.

6. You will miss real plumbing.

Luckily my dad avoided making the same mistake Robin Williams did-- enough said.

7. You will meet some interesting people.

RV park life is definitely a lifestyle. You’ll find people from all over the country and the world all traveling in different directions but always willing to share some firewood or direction tips. You can immediately tell who the rookies (us with the rented vehicle and broken awning) are and who the seasoned RV'ers are (the ones with the RV the size of a small cruise ship, car towed behind, an astroturf mat to grill on, and magnets of all the places they’ve been).

8. The constant fights.

With four kids under the age of 14 crammed into a 6 by 8 foot area and parents that are distracted by the task of maneuvering around traffic and trying to read the map, the sibling fights are real. There were fights over the coveted couch seat, the shower, the good snacks, the bunk bed, and basically everything in between.

9. You’ll have a new appreciation for your family.

Looking back on it, I can see that my parents have given my siblings and I the adventures and memories of a lifetime. At eighteen years old, I have seen the Grand Canyon, gone river rafting down the Rio Grande, seen Old Faithful go off, hiked in Glacier National Park, been horseback riding in Montana, explored a ghost town, and seen the moon rise above the cliffs in Zion National Park. Mom and Dad, I can’t thank you enough for being willing to take on a cross country family RV trip in order to show us how beautiful America is.