When summertime rolls in, everyone's schedules get a little busier. Between work, vacations and any other family commitments, it can be hard to set aside time to spend with your friends. As anyone that's home for the summer (however briefly) knows, the short amount of time you have can get hectic. There is a lot of pressure to catch up with your friends and create memories that you can look back on and talk about when you're apart again.
You could sit by the pool, go to the movies or go to a theme park together. But a lot of those normal summer activities can get expensive or boring pretty fast. A summer road trip is relatively cheap (if you figure you and your friends are splitting gas) and is a great way to spend quality time with your friends with almost no distractions.
Sometimes the destination isn't the most desirable or memorable part of the trip—it's how you get there. The conversations, the music, the goofy jokes and the laughter are just a few of the things that can make a trip stand out. For a lot of people, driving long distances is relaxing and enjoyable.
If you're with your friends, that's usually all you need to have a good time, but here are some other essentials that can make a road trip great:
1. Snacks
And by snacks, I mean candy. Gummy worms and sugary drinks are my personal favorite. If you like coffee, there's everything from lattes to iced coffee in most convenience stores to keep you going. A road trip is the perfect excuse to eat junk food with your friends.
2. Music
Make sure you have a good playlist to rely on. The key is to have a perfect mix of everything: uplifting pop songs, mellow songs and some throwbacks that everyone in the car knows all the words to.
3. Windows down
Fresh air always feels so good, especially if you're headed somewhere out of the city where the air is cleaner. If you're headed to the beach, you can roll them down to smell the salt air.
4. A technology ban
If you're in the car with other people, enjoy their company. You don't need to be scrolling through social media or playing "Candy Crush" when there are good friends you could be talking to.
5. A destination
That may seem obvious, but it's important to be excited about the place you're headed. A trip to the beach is always a safe bet. Or you could look up scenic hiking trails within a couple hours of where you live and see what's around you. Going someplace new is always a great way to get closer with the people you're with.
Road trips are a distinctly American tradition, and there's no better time or place to take them than with your best friends while you're home for the summer.
