When trips go well, you can create some incredible memories. Just you and a friend or 14 people (we rented a 15-passenger van for that one) driving along the open road, loaded with snacks, stopping at roadside attractions and see sights and landmarks you’ve never seen elsewhere – so what? Could it be better than that?
Even trips that aren’t cross-country vacations can be great in their own right. My family and I still remember the time I convinced everyone at the last minute that we should head to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving. We originally planned to go because the flight for five people was too expensive, but it felt like this would be our last vacation with my grandfather, so we left Athens in our trusty Honda Odyssey on the evening before and drove through the night, only stopping there. to change drivers and refuel. It was tiring, but we did it.
However, not every trip goes smoothly. Sometimes your car (or motorcycle) breaks down in the middle of south Georgia, forcing you to spend the night in a $50-a-night motel that could have been at least $25 cheaper. Sometimes you encounter a deranged Mainiac who tries to run you off the street, only to meet him at breakfast the next morning and get yelled at again. Other times, you get your first official girlfriend right after high school, but when you return from your Colorado trip, you find out via MySpace that she broke up with you without telling you. .
So as much as we love road trips, let’s talk about the bad things that can sometimes happen to them. Maybe you were late to a friend’s wedding because Google Maps sent you down a dirt “road” that was too narrow for you to turn around when you realized how bad things were about to get. Maybe you’ve tried using nicotine gum to stay awake instead of caffeine and almost gave yourself a heart attack. Maybe your older brother who is definitely old enough to know better had an incident where diarrhea in the back seat left the car smelling terrible even after he changed and your parents tried to clean everything up.
Whatever it is, we want to hear about it. What’s the worst thing that’s happened to you on a road trip?
