About three weeks ago when I decided to take a quick trip to Utah for a mission reunion, I didn’t think it was a big deal. Yet I heard the following from people at school:
“That’s a long drive, isn’t it?” (To which I said no…)
“Do you have pepper spray?” (To which I also said no…)
I really didn’t think it was a long drive. I’d done it a million times–several of those even all at one 14-hour shot–so it wasn’t going to be that bad, right?
Well, it wasn’t hell. But it also wasn’t easy. And here are the lessons I learned from taking a long road trip by myself in 5 days.
1. When your sisters work or live halfway around the world, road trips suck because you can’t talk to them through the Land Desolation, a.k.a. Wyoming.
2. When you road trip by yourself, it’s impossible to remember all of the weird things you see, like the giant anti-Obama billboard right across the Wyoming border, or that Heber City has a booming strip mall.
3. Satellite radio makes road trips kind of awesome, but also kind of sucky, because when you listen to the 90s station by yourself, it takes away the fun of telling stories about the memories associated with the songs you hear. On the other hand, listening to the “Love” channel on satellite radio by yourself and singing to all the cheesiness is much easier to do with no witnesses.
4. The Original Broadway Cast Recording of Rent will get you from North Platte to York.
5. When you road trip by yourself, it’s hard to take photos. So all you people get is words.
The trip was great, and I’m glad I went. But I’m not sure a “quick trip” to Utah is such a good idea anymore.
6. I love my friends that live in Provo.