There are lots of things you will learn on a Road Trip: You might discover your own limits and you might learn a thing or 2 about your road trip partner(s). You might develop new skills but most importantly you will experience new situations and grow from them.
Road Trips are a great way to travel, if not the best! Yeah ok, my opinion is totally biased on this topic! But truly Road Trips are full of life lessons which will make you a better person.
We are talking about Road Trips with capital Rs and capital Ts here, not the little trips you take where you take your car to go from point A to point B. We are talking about the trips which take you to the unknown, the trips where you’re not sure where you’ll be sleeping, the trips where everything is possible!
Things you will learn before your Road Trip
Planning can be nerve-racking. So much to see, so little time… Can we teleport from here to there?
Packing is worse than planning! You intend to go hiking, cycling, scuba diving, rafting, sight seeing, shopping… So much to pack to be stylish in all those situations!
Now, let’s think about SHOES!!! 😉
5 suitcases of gear, clothes and accessories later, you are still refusing to admit that it will not fit in the car!
Organisation is a solo mission. You bought the snacks, the sunscreen, the bug spray, the reusable items, the gaz canisters… You checked all the camping gear, you prepared the playlist…. while your partner was shopping for a new bathing suit!
A touch of resentment is building up, as you get the feeling that maybe, just maybe, responsibilities are not shared equally with your partner! You are completely right!! But admit it, you love it and wouldn’t have it any other way!
You need a vacation to recover from organizing your trip!
Things you will learn during your Road Trip
Loading the car is like playing tetris. Thankfully you are really good at it!
Unfortunately the trunk of the car is shrinking everyday! Or so it seems…
Packing, unpacking and packing again takes up a huge amount of your time. Why did you bring so many clothes, you wonder?
Watching the water while it is slowly boiling is an acceptable activity. Watching fellow campers, watching the water while it is boiling, is also acceptable.
The only important clock is your internal one: when tired, you shall rest. When hungry, you shall eat.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a real thing and no, Wifi and battery are not part of it!
You don’t need as much stuff as you think. This totally Instagram worthy iron cast pan was not worth bringing after all. Neither was this hat, these shoes or this outfit!
You will learn to use your water supply wisely. Washing your hands is important but drinking is even more important.
Your standards will change. After sleeping a few days on the floor, any hotel bed will feel luxurious. Any shower or bathroom will be welcomed.
Flip flops are acceptable with most outfits. Why did you bring so many shoes?
You are not going to make it to all the places you had planned. And you are now ok with it. More than ok, actually!
People are mostly nice. People can also be weird!
The journey matters more than the destination. Maybe it isn’t as cliché as it sounds after all.
Things you will learn after your Road Trip
You didn’t need to bring that much stuff.
You didn’t need all those shoes. 😉
Unpacking is so annoying. Why did you bring so much?
Your house feels so big now but your bed feels so comfortable.
Being back might be the worst feeling. Planning your next Road Trip helps.
You had some ups and downs but these were the best ups and downs.
The times you spent doing absolutely nothing but chill were the best.
You wish this Road Trip never ended!
You understood from this post, that I have a small problem when road tripping… I bring too many shoes! If you have the same issue, know that you are not alone!!!
