The Top 5 Tips For Surviving A Road Trip
Anyone who has been on a long road trip with friends or family members understand the dangers that lie in being confined to such a small space for long stretches.
Conflict can build because of number of factors - fatigue, hunger, impatience, bladder control, motion sickness, etc.
If you value the relationship of your driving companion, you need to have a strategy to ensure that you are still talking to each other on good terms by the time you reach home.
Here are the top 5 tips for surviving a road trip with someone who you are very close with:
Take Turns Driving - Road trips that only involve one person who drives is a recipe for disaster, or at the very least, deep resentment. Having a partner, or multiple people, who can share the driving duties is a way to keep everyone sane, happy, healthy, and ultimately, enjoying the sightseeing throughout the trip.
Bring Activities to Occupy Yourself - Sometimes the scenery isn’t that spectacular (or you’re driving through the night), and you can only do so much sleeping before you need to expend your energy. Whether its listening to your tunes through your headphones, reading a book, or playing a game on your mobile device, activities can take the edge off the long stretches in between your chosen destinations.
Always Have Snacks Available - An empty belly can lead to tensions that might not usually happen – it’s hard to act normal when all you can think of is the time before your next stop for food. Preparing a range of food options for the day can keep everyone on track, and ensure that little things don’t turn into big fights.
Plan Out Your Route - Avoiding the dreaded question “Are we there yet?” can easily be accomplished by setting out a route for each of driving. If everyone understands that spots they’re interested in checking out, and approximate time it takes to reach each, everyone can adjust in their own, personal way.
Remember That the Journey Is Just as Important as the Destination - Take the time to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells and landmarks that you encounter on the way to your end point of the trip. Half the fun of a road trip (particularly in Canada) is fully experiencing the different landscapes that are encountered. You might want to spend a certain amount of time at your destination, but always build in enough time to enjoy the journey.
