So you’ve just graduated, and you have your last summer of pre-college freedom ahead of you. What are you going to do with it? Get a job? Spend some time volunteering? Take summer classes to prepare yourself for college? While all of these are good ideas—and should be seriously considered—there’s something else that you may want to think about first: a road trip!
While it’s slightly cliché, heading out on a post-graduation summer road trip can be one of the most fun ways to celebrate the end of high school. Just grab a couple friends, pack up your car, and hit the road! Well, it’s not quite that simple, but you get the idea. If you think this seems like a pretty good deal, read on for some tested advice on road tripping.
Make a Plan
The key to a successful road trip is planning. Think about things like where you want to go:
- Have you always wanted to take a trip across the country to watch your favorite baseball team take on a faraway team?
- Or see a mountain range, or the ocean?
You’ll also want to think about if you want to stop anywhere on the way:
- Do you have a friend that lives far away that you’d like to stop and spend a day with?
- Or do you want to check out one of the stops from Weird U.S.?
You’ll also need to decide where you’re going to stay when you’re on your adventure. Sleeping in the car—especially with two or three other people—really sucks. So think about getting a hotel room, or staying with a friend or family member.
Planning these things in advance will make your trip much more successful.
Prepare
After you’ve developed a plan for your trip, you’re ready to start preparing. Start your packing list at least a week in advance of your trip so you have time to think of all the things you forgot when you wrote it.
Sure, you’ll remember clothes and toiletries . . . but will you think of making a few sandwiches for the drive, so you don’t have to stop and buy expensive fast food? Or a map of the cities that you’ll be stopping in? (You can be fairly certain that you’ll get lost at least once or twice.) Don’t forget things like your cell phone charger, extra batteries for your camera, and a list of emergency phone numbers (for when your phone gets soaked in the lake).
Start!
Once you’ve planned and packed, you’re ready to go! Get your crew together, and start driving. Your trip can be as long or as short as you’d like—you can drive across the country, across the state, or even just across the city. So why not start planning today? Call up your friends and start getting a plan together today.