How to Enjoy a Long Car Ride
One thing most humans can agree on is that road trips are fun. However, they are only fun for about the first fifteen minutes into the trip, after which the initial excitement starts to fade. In time, we’ve begun to understand that what’s fun is the idea of a road trip and the destination itself, but the part where we spend hours in a state of limbo between the two destinations is usually quite boring. This is why most people often put serious thought into how they will pass the time during long drives, and that’s why we have prepared this guide. Here are some ideas that will keep you entertained on long car rides.
Listen to a Podcast
Podcasts are the type of content that some people find hard to sit still while listening to. Long car rides are perfect because they keep your body occupied while the podcast keeps your mind entertained just enough. This brings us to your options. If you have a favorite podcast, then having the podcaster’s voice accompanying you would be like having a friend along for the ride. On the other hand, if you’ve been wanting to try a new podcast, there is no better time to start than listening on a long drive. Within the first ten minutes, you’ll have come up with a decision whether you like it or not, and if you don’t, you can move on to the next suggestion.
Listen to Music
What’s just as good as your favorite podcast? That moment when your favorite song comes on and your death-like car ride turns to a private concert. If you’re dedicated enough to music, you can look up how far away the place you’re going is beforehand, and prepare a playlist to cover the whole distance. The key to a good road trip mix is not just adding party songs. Make sure you’re adding enough variety to take yourself and your passengers through your entire range of emotions. Don’t forget to add some Disney songs, too. There’s nothing like AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ followed by Toy Story’s ‘You’ve Got A Friend in Me’
Catch Up on Your To-Watch List
While on some days we might have the time to be all caught up on our favorite channels’ most recent videos, most weeks are just too hectic, which can leave us missing out on a bunch of things. A long car ride is where you can catch up on all the piled-up videos. While you can watch online, downloading streamed vids and other YouTube content is a better idea because no one wants to drain their internet package on a road trip. A clever thing to do is make a list of all the videos you want to download, then download the playlist to your device.
Engage in Conversation
It is always nice to have a conversation with the people riding along with you. If they’re your close friends, the conversation should flow smoothly. If they’re just acquaintances or friends of friends and you’re not much of a talker, driving should loosen you up enough for you to enjoy taking the time to know them. Usually, when the mind is occupied with a certain task, it doesn’t pay as much attention to stressful social situations. Plus, you’d always have the road ahead as a perfect excuse not to make eye contact.
Self-Reflect
If quality time with yourself is your favorite activity, why not do that? Even if you’re not much of an introspective person, the road is always a good place for deep realizations. Just stare ahead and let the conversation flow inside you. Take a certain topic and dissect it, dig deeper for answers regarding a certain question, or take the time to mentally check on yourself. If none of these interest you, you can always mentally prepare for your trip, whether it’s a friends’ getaway or a family trip, we could all do with a little mental preparation.
With those tips in mind, it should be easy to pass the time it takes to arrive at your destination and stay entertained throughout the trip. If you’re not the one driving, you could pull an all-nighter and sleep through the whole ride. But, if you’re driving, be sure to pack snacks and water, and check up on your car before you hit the road. You don’t want to spend any time stranded on the side of the road so, make sure your car is road-ready. Drive safe and have fun!
