The Season of the Road Trip

From Hawaii to DC, and Pennsylvania to Texas, I'm no stranger to the "PCS Road Trip." With packing all the "essentials" - sleeping bags, hygiene items, clothes, and candles (which would’ve melted in the box) - into the family cars to head into new terrain. It all happens in the blink of an eye; it can be easier than ever to forget something or feel overwhelmed in all the uncertainty.

Currently on a road trip as I write this, it feels like there's no better time to share my thoughts. With that being said, here's my personal guide and tips for having the most stress-free PCS Road Trip possible.

1. Spotify Jam

This is a tool that might have saved my family from a lot of boredom, fighting, and trouble during my childhood. Spotify Jam allows anyone in the car to join the music player's "Jam," allowing you to add music, podcasts, and more to the queue. Experiencing this on my current road trip, it has been an absolute game-changer. No more siblings fighting or crying over dead earbuds, because now, everyone can listen to their music together.

2. Podcasts

Now, this one may seem obvious, but when you have a bored driver who's 1-8 hours in, you will be scrambling to find something to ease the boredom. Trust me, a good history or sports podcast can spare you another 2 hours, and it can even give you a plethora of niche knowledge to bring up in conversation. Personally, I'm a football girl, so listening to interviews and post-season news always works for me. I also love a good history or world events podcast, which helps keep everyone interested and learning.

3. Snack Bag

Probably one of the most simple tips out there, but when talking about must-haves I couldn't leave this out. Before leaving, start putting together a snack bag! Add in snacks specific to everyone in the car and even a variety. Yes, you might love pretzels, but sometimes you're just going to want a fruit strip or mandarin; so make sure there's a good mix! There's a point in every road trip where everyone gets hungry or sick of greasy fries, so it's just good to be prepared.

4. Drinks!!

Just like your PE coach used to say on field day: hydration is key! Remembering to drink water even when you aren't necessarily moving very much or in the heat is easier said than done. But being dehydrated on a road trip can really enhance road-sickness, give you headaches, or just not be pleasant for you. On the flip side, caffeine can be a person's best friend on these long days! So it's important to have a mixture of comfort drinks and also remember simple water.

5. Trivia

This is my absolute favorite source of entertainment in the car! Once the music starts to feel repetitive or boring, this is a great way to get the whole car involved, happy, and gaining some energy again! There's an endless amount of trivia channels and topics to choose from that can get everyone interested, and it's such an easy way to kill time.

6. Get out at as many stops possible!

When the car pulls over to get food, gas, re-route, etc, it can be an immediate reaction to say it's "easier" to stay in the car or feel too tired to get out. But from much experience, I've found that a good rule of thumb is if you can get out of the car, do get out of the car! Just stretching your legs can do more than you may realize at the time; it can break up the journey, wake you up more, and get your blood flowing. There will be so many moments where all you want to do is be out of the car, so when you have the chance to be out, even for a minute, take that opportunity.

7. Overnight bag

I know you may be thinking "I have everything I need in the car anyways!" or "I have so many clothes packed, it shoud not be an issue!" but the last thing anyone wants is to get to a hotel in the dark of night, tired from a whole day of driving, just to discover that their bag of clothes is under everything else in the car, hygiene bag is nowhere to be found, and the pillow is somewhere in the pile of suitcases. To avoid this catastrophe, pack one suitcase with a pair of pajamas and clothes for the next day, a toothbrush, hygiene products, and whatever else you need for the hotel. This way, you only have one bag you need to track and carry with you, plus everything you need is easily accessible. This ensures the most stress-free and fast transition to the hotel room, where you can rest for as long as possible before taking off again in the morning.

8. Give grace!

PCSing, moving, and road trips can be so stressful for everyone involved. So even though you may have moments where you just feel overwhelmed, annoyed, or even not understand why people are acting a certain way, remember they're going through everything with you, not against you. Of course, everyone will have a moment where they feel irritated over the whole process, but in general, try to slow down and take moments for yourself. Whether it means just putting in earbuds and zoning out or going on a walk once you get to the hotel, little moments that can be your own are so important when you don't necessarily have your own space to fall back onto.

I hope that these tips were helpful to anyone in my same situation right now! Good luck to everyone who is about to move or who is in the process of moving. Happy PCS season!