Tips for driving cross country with friends

You want me to go where with you? Driving what?" I replied when my best friend asked me to join her on a cross country road trip years ago after we both graduated from college. Even 15 years ago at such a young age I knew that cross country travel with even your best friend was asking for trouble. A cross country trip can be a long, grueling journey even for the most well prepared, experienced travelers. For the rest of us it quite possibly is a death sentence. But when you are young you are always up for adventure.

"Oh yeah, cool, I'd love to go! But we'll take my car." There was no way I was going to travel across country in her 20 year old Toyota Corolla. That trip was the trip of a lifetime (meaning I would only do it once and never again) but we learned so much along the way; insider tips or rather tips that you can only learn from someone who has done it before. And some things we just learned on our own that we could have only learned through the experience. Here are some of the most important lessons that we learned:

1. "I'm sorry, where did you say you were?" Is what I heard on the other end of the line when I first called my dad to tell him we were on such a trip. After that I heard a string of profanities and finally calm. I first thought to call my parents and advise them of our trip only after traveling across the state line. Spending 40 minutes on the phone with my dad long distance I realized that a cross country road trip requires more planning than calling home when you are over 400 miles into your journey. It is very important when you are enjoying a cross country road trip to check in daily with friends or family members at home not only to let them know how much fun you are having but to assure them of your safety. Unfortunately, the world is a little more dangerous than it was 15 years ago. One of the most dangerous places, especially for women, is rest areas. Never go into a rest area bathroom alone especially late at night. It is also NEVER a good idea to pull over at a rest area or on the side of the freeway for a nap. Talk to a loved one daily and report where you are on your journey. Let them know where you will be staying overnight and how far you will be traveling the next day.
2. "Where are we?" My friend asked queerly as we pulled into the parking lot of what seemed to be the world's largest hubcap house. Thousands of shiny discs caught the morning sun blinding me as a slammed the car door in a rage.