Lessons From My First Major Road Trip
- Tiff
- Dec 28, 2023
- 5 min read
I found an old journal entry dating back to one of my first major road trips. I had little to no idea what I was doing or getting myself into, yet it turned out to be one of the most formative trips of my life. In the entry, I wrote down “lessons learned so far,” and thought I should share these with you since they’re a travel tip original. Here’s the list and explanations to accompany it.
The List of Lessons Learned So Far on My First Major Roadtrip
Get a campsite before nightfall
Remember to drink water
Remember to eat food
Get a good cooler
Be patient
Have grace in times of stress
Say yes
But use caution
Live in the present
Get a Campsite Before Nightfall
I rarely keep true to this lesson to this day. Finding a campsite before nightfall is great because you can see what you’re doing. That’s pretty basic. If not, you’ll have to rely on flashlights and headlamps when setting up your tent, inflating your sleeping pad, cooking, and doing everything at the campsite. It can be quite a hassle.
Alternatively, you get a nice surprise in the morning when you get to see where you set up camp! Is it worth it? Not every time. Sometimes! But not every time…
One time, my friend Rachel and I set up a campsite at a really sketchy area around 11:00 pm. We ended up leaving because it was just so sketchy. We came back in the morning to check it out and we had made the right move. I plan on writing about this experience in a future post so that I won’t ruin the surprise! But long story short, always trust your gut.
Remember to Drink Water
It can be shockingly hard to remember to drink water on a road trip. It's true that the more you drink, the more you have to stop to pee, so it's more convenient to simply not drink water. But it’s still extremely important so you can be prepared for all of the adventures that you have on the road trip. Hydrate or die!
Remember to Eat Food
Remembering to eat food on a road trip can also be hard. Sometimes fast food is available and hits the spot, sometimes it sounds like the worst idea in the world. I suggest planning out meals ahead of time or at the very least, having nutritious snacks available.
Get a Good Cooler
This is vital. If you want to make your meals, invest in a cooler. Just do it. I did the first major road trip, the one where this list was made, without a cooler. This resulted in a lot of wasted food and no nutritional meals. It may as well have been a backpacking trip. But your road trips should be enjoyable. Backpacking food is arguably only good during backpacking trips. Not road trips. So invest in a cooler and thank me later.
Coolers can be expensive, so if you don't want to buy a new one or one suitable to fit in your car, ask to borrow one from a friend. Igloo and Coleman tend to be standard mid-cost brands. RTIC and YETI are known for their quality. If you're traveling for long periods, make sure you get a cooler with ice retention. There's no use having a cooler if all the ice melts. I also prefer coolers with a drain so that when your ice does melt, you can release excess water easily.
Be Patient and Have Grace In Times of Stress
I booked a campsite at Zion National Park for the days Rachel and I were expected to be there. When we got to Zion, we figured we should double-check the reservation to get an idea of what campsite to go to (which is called poor planning). I logged into my rec.gov account and started my search for Grey Cliffs Campground. "Well that's odd," I said. "It says it's not even close to the Zion entrance. This park must be a lot bigger than I thought."
Zion is a massive park. It's 232 square miles of beautiful canyons with the Virgin River running through. It has shuttles to take its visitors to its numerous trails and inns. It does not, though, take you to Grey Cliffs Campground because that campground is a state over in Nevada's Great Basin National Park.
I reserved a campsite in the WRONG NATIONAL PARK. Wrong by about three and a half hours.
What do you do in times of stress? You gotta give yourself grace. Then adapt.
We went to Zion during the day and camped outside the park on BLM land at night. We stayed at two breathtaking sites, both surrounded by red rock canyons. It was not in the plan, and I made a mistake. But it was okay. Arguably better than okay. It was beautiful- and free!
The trick is to not get down on yourself too much. You'll make some mistakes. Maybe not as logistically bonkers as the one I made, but mistakes. You will get frustrated. Road trips are theoretically wonderful, but very rarely does one remember that driving is exhausting. Things will not go as planned every time. You will hit road bumps- metaphorical and literal! Be patient when the unexpected happens. Have grace for yourself and others in times of stress.
Say Yes
When the unexpected does happen and you have the opportunity to say yes, do it! You will meet new, interesting people. You will stumble upon viewpoints, local restaurants, wildlife areas, and so many things not worked into your itinerary. I encourage you to say yes to the unplanned.
But Use Caution
There’s a difference between being spontaneous and being irresponsible. Say yes to the things that make sense and venture outside of your comfort zone. However, trust your gut. If something doesn’t seem right, turn away. If something seems unreasonably dangerous, say no. Use caution when approaching new things that you don’t yet understand.
Live in the Present
Finally, I decided to end my list with a cliche. To “live in the present" is a common phrase that is related to meditation, mindfulness, life, you get it. But it truly is a wondrous state of being. When you’re traveling, it’s easy to get caught up in your itinerary, to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. But that’s not the point. Enjoy the in-between moments. Relish each stretch of road. Take it in that you’re doing this! That you are living a full life right now.
There you go! Advice straight from my old journal, written during a life-changing road trip. I still don’t always stick to these lessons. I try to drink as much water a day as I can, but man do I hate pulling over at rest stops. I am notoriously bad at picking out campsites before nightfall, mostly because I stop so often to say yes to mini adventures. I get frustrated. This is only natural. I’m not always patient, and it can take lots of reminders to give myself grace when things go awry. I do, however, always bring a cooler with me. Never again will I suffer from not having one.
I hope you form your own list of lessons learned on your road trip. I would love to hear/read your advice- and mishaps- on road trips you've taken! All stories are welcome!
Tiffany, this is wonderful. Thank you!