Road trip!!
We all remember that refrain from our childhood days. It meant that we were going somewhere. Somewhere out of the ordinary. Somewhere different. Somewhere fun. Somewhere else. Whether it was an excursion with our classmates, friends, youth club peers, or family, it was something to look forward to. There was the potential for excitement. A new experience.
Then we got older. We took on more responsibility and road trips became more scarce. It meant booking the flight, hotel, car, etc., researching activities, asking for vacation time from our boss, having our shifts covered, making arrangements for house sitting or pet sitting, paying bills in advance, holding mail, and all the other nit-picky things that revolve around being away. We started to appreciate all the work our parents or chaperones did behind the scenes when we were kids. In those days, it was just a matter of finishing our homework and then getting up and going, but as adults, we realize there is a lot of planning that goes into road trips, and it becomes almost too burdensome to even think about it. Now that the onus is on us to put it all together, we tend to want to take the path of least resistance — procrastination. I'll go sometime "when things aren't so busy". I'll go sometime "when I can afford it." Or, my personal favorite, I'll go sometime "when I have someone to go with."
But when we do that, we just cheat ourselves out of having a good time. Just because we are on our own doesn't mean we should rule out the expeditions that used to stir excitement within us, and when you're single, you have more freedom than most to get up and go. You can go with a friend, or even go by yourself just to add to your own experiences. Yes, of course, arrangements still have to made back home, but you'll have more flexibility with just one schedule to coordinate than you would if you were obliged to bring a significant other along. Best of all, you get to do what you want; you don't have to please anyone else.
The type of road trip you choose will, obviously, be constrained by how much free time and money you have to spend, but it should not be an option to not take a trip. It is so easy to get into a rut; we need those moments when we can escape from the ordinary humdrum life we lead every day, so make it a point to go on a multi-day road trip at least once a year.
By the way, your annual big road trip does not have to be the only time you get out and see the world. There are plenty of opportunities for mini-road trips throughout the year — a day at the beach, a visit to the park to watch an outdoor concert, a ski run, a hiking or biking trail, whatever you enjoy. It could even be simply taking a little longer to get home by traveling the scenic route. The point is to enjoy your surroundings, even with just yourself as company. Having a good time is not contingent on having a companion.
Yup!
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