Road trips with friends = an absolute blast! Road trips alone = longest drive ever.
I went to college 6 hours away from home, so I mastered the art of solo road trips. I've learned all the tricks to making time pass quickly, how to stay focused and how to make the most of your alone time.
Let's start with the hardest (for me) challenge: Making the time pass quickly. Is it just me or does one road trip minute feel like 20 minutes of regular life? I swear it feels like I could have watched a whole episode of the office in the time it takes me to make it one mile down the highway. The point I'm trying to make is: time crawls by on solo road trips. Or at least it does if you aren't properly prepared!
In college, I didn't have an iPad or smart phone to play movies on, so I used what I had - an old school personal DVD player. And the best part? It played with the lid closed. That means I could plug it into a little outlet converter and an aux cable, put the lid down (so I couldn't watch the screen even if I wanted to - not even a glance!) and put on some of my favorite movies and/or tv shows. I listened to every episode of Gilmore Girls AND Boy Meets World over the course of my college career. I specifically chose those shows because I knew them really, really well. That means I didn't need the visual cues to follow the story line. Win! You could achieve the same effect with a locked phone or iPad screen. Oh, technology.
Next up, try audio books! And no, I'm not sponsored by audible. I personally don't even have an audible account, because I prefer to read books rather than listen to them. However, for the occasional road trip I actually use the app OverDrive. You can check out audiobooks from your local library though the app! And it's free! I think you may just need a library card to check something out. The choices are more limited than on audible, but hey! It's free!
I know what you're thinking - what about music? I actually LOVE music, but I tend not to listen to music while I'm on solo road trips because it makes time pass in increments of 3 or 4 minutes. Each song just takes a few minutes, whereas a TV show passes by in the span of either 20 or 45 minutes depending on the series. That makes the hours fly by! I highly recommend trying it out on your next trip.
Finally, if you find yourself getting a bit tired or unfocused - first off, pull over if you are unsafe. Take a nap and recharge if needed. However, if you just need a pick-me-up, consider this: blast the AC, crank up the music and sing along. I know I said I wasn't big on music, but this is the exception. Go full on sing-a-long! I personally like to do this at night and try to learn the words to a new song. It keeps my brain active and alert - always good when you're driving - and helps keep me alert.
Anyway, those are my top tips on how to have fun on a road trip even without your best friend by your side. Focus on your destination and don't let going alone slow you down!
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