Top 10 Reasons to take a Road Trip

On May 17th, one of my good friends and I, McKenzie, took a road trip together. About 2 months prior McKenzie had approached me with the idea of taking a road trip to Maine. We decided that there was not enough time for us to truly see the East coast, so we decided to make our ultimate destination point be to the Four Corners Monument (which is a place I have always wanted to go). I leaped at the idea because I have a huge passion for traveling. There is just something about the idea of seeing the world that excites me and it is something I plan to do throughout my life.

As I told my friends, family, co-workers, and classmates about this trip I learned quite a few things. First, the idea of a road trip is something many people want to do, but few people actually end up doing. Second, many people are jealous of the fact that you are actually going on a road trip. Third, most people do not see the value of actually making a road trip a reality. Naturally, I began to create a list of what I feel are the "top 10" reasons why a person should take a road trip (preferably with at least one good friend). I base this list off of my first and only road trip I've taken with a friend. We traveled to St. Louis and spent an afternoon and morning there before heading West to see friends, visit the Four Corners Monument, and hike in Arches National Park. During this trip, I learned a number of different things as we traveled 3300 miles in 5 days. This list is in no particular order.

Top 10 Reasons to take a Road Trip:

10. Pit stops, road construction, random signs, and music are what make a road trip fun, entertaining, and surprising. You develop inside jokes that will more than likely last a lifetime, play the License Plate game, play padiddle, and laugh about all the interesting things you encounter.

9. You get to see many of the states in the most beautiful way possible: by driving right through them. Enjoying the scenery was one of the best parts of this road trip. Do you have any idea how exciting mountains are when you do not see them everyday?

8. There are many obstacles that you need to face head on right in the heat of the moment (like figuring out public transportation in a big city, driving through a big city, or being comfortable asking a stranger for directions).

7. You won't regret spending any of the money that you spent to make this road trip a reality. Not even one penny. And I'll be honest, this trip was a lot cheaper than I expected it to be. Mainly because McKenzie's car gets exceptional gas mileage--33.2 mpg, to be exact.

6. You mature and grow as a person very quickly because you have to figure things out for yourself.

5. You learn the true value of being fully prepared. Note to everyone: you may need a winter jacket if you drive through the mountains or a rain jacket if you plan to hike and rain is in the forecast.

4. Bonding: You get to know a friend (or friends) a lot better than what you already thought you had and become a lot closer to them. On a road trip, you truly get to be yourself.

3. Time essentially doesn't matter. You learn the true value of a 24-hour time period and just how much can be accomplished during that time...especially if you only use 4 of it for sleeping. For example, it is possible to drive from the west side of Colorado to Wisconsin in 18 hours.

2. Instant gratification: no waiting in lines, no waiting for flights. If you're thinking about traffic, see #10. There is no such thing as delay, you're a road trip!

1. It's the smallest way you can begin to see this beautiful world that God created for us.

This road trip was one of the best things I could have ever done. It was an adventure and it was fully about the journey, not the destination. I know it sounds cliche, but now I fully understand that saying. And you can too if you plan to take a road trip. If you're not sure where to go, don't worry, my next blog will be about future places to take a road trip to.