By Scott Christian, The Nest
Tips on how to survive a summer road trip with your partner
Now that we're officially in the heart of summer travel season, it's probably a safe bet that you'll end up on a road trip with your partner. For some, this means a Kerouac-ian taste of adventure. For others it means a long, grueling stretch of tetchiness and boredom. Though a classic road trip can be the stuff of legend among friends, for couples it can be a trickier thing to navigate—both literally and figuratively. A couple, after all, eventually has to return home together. And that little nugget of psychological information can wreak havoc after hours of being cooped up together. But there are things you can do to ease the pain should you find yourself in a less than Kerouac-ian mood with your road-tripping partner. Below are a few tips to help keep your relationship from derailing should you head out on the open road.
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Split your playlists 50/50
Maybe you're one of those lucky couples who share the same taste in music. Or maybe, like me, you find yourself having to regularly endure the ear-carnage that is country. If you're one of the latter, chances are you're going to spend some time suffering during a long drive. The trick here isn't to try and avoid the suffering altogether, it's just to share the burden equally. There are two easy ways to do this. The first is to create a road trip playlist that alternates songs. One for you, one for you partner, back to you, etc. I like this one best because it means you won't have to endure any long stretches of bad music. Another option is to each make a selection of 15-song playlists and alternate those. Or you can just wing it and listen to whatever radio the region has to offer. You know, soak up the local flavor. But fair warning, most of the local flavor in this nation of ours is talk and country.
Chuck the dietary restrictions
You're road tripping, which means that when it comes to your diet, all bets are off. The open road is all about bags of Doritos and truck stop diner food. There's nothing worse than combing the barren culinary wasteland that is the U.S. Interstate for a place that's paleo or vegan. Unless you're road tripping through West Hollywood, just let it go. You will be surprised by how much stress you'll relieve when you just go with the culinary flow.
Yes, you do have time to stop at the giant dinosaur
[post_ads]Road tripping is all about letting go of your militant need to schedule everything. Scheduling things on a road trip is a fool's errand because traffic, God, or the fuel injectors in your car will always find away to derail it. So if you've been planning an itinerary for your trip, you should literally throw it out the window. If you're worried you'll arrive late at your destination, just leave earlier. There's a reason that On the Road is a classic—because it's a carefree tale of adventure, not a boring transcription of Sal Paradise's meticulously planned itinerary. And besides, when are you ever going to be back at the giant dinosaur again?
Don't drive at night
Look, unless you're a truck driver popping bennies through the night, just pull over at a motel and get some sleep. The longer you go without rest, the more irritable you're going to get, which means the more likely you will piss each other off. And no shift-driving—you know, three hours on, three hours off. That's a recipe for disaster. Just because you and your buddies made it from Saginaw, Michigan to Palm Beach, Florida in under-18 hours that one summer, doesn't mean you should try it as a grown adult with your partner in tow. Get some rest. Maybe even get a little alone time while you're there. It'll help recharge your batteries so you don't end up killing each other.
See more at: The Nest
See more at: The Nest
