With a huge surge in the RV market and more people than ever interested in heading out into the world for adventure as the global pandemic winds down, many first-time travelers are looking for tips and tricks when it comes to making those road trips memorable ones.
What You Need Before Heading On A Road Trip
Whether this is the first month you feel comfortable traveling far from home or you’re experienced with driving from coast to coast across the United States, a great way to head out onto the open road is to pack both an open mind and a loose plan. For a few things, you’ll need to hit the road successfully, read on.
Getting Affairs in Order at Home
One of the best ways to ruin a great trip is to leave loose ends at home. You won’t be able to focus on your trip and be as spontaneous if you’re worried about obligations and responsibilities you haven’t taken care of. Take care of what you need to before you leave so that you can focus on the adventure, regardless of the point of your trip or final destination.
Perhaps you’re taking a road trip because you and your family are considering a move across the country. With a plan to explore potential landing spots and final destinations for your next chapter, you might have even just bought a new home and want to get to know the area ahead of time. Someone in your position would want to know your real estate affairs were settled before leaving for your trip. That is, if you just sold your house, you’d want to Google “storage units near me” and have the bulk of your move complete before leaving for a road trip. Even knowing your climate-controlled, secure facility storage options ahead of time would be a good way to give yourself some peace of mind before heading out.
Maybe you’re a college student returning to your hometown for summer break between semesters. You’d also want to make sure your self-storage unit was packed up, book rentals returned, and next semester’s apartment figured out before hitting the road. Taking care of responsibilities ahead of a trip will allow you to live in the moment during your travels instead of worrying about things you didn’t get done or will need to come back to later.
Planning to Stay Connected
Quarantines, social distancing restrictions, and the Covid-19 pandemic forced many families to stay separated for well over a year. If you’re like many families and planning a road trip to reconnect with people you’ve been apart from, it’s likely that your road trip will be a long one. While you’re probably anxious to reconnect, you’ll also want to stay connected to those you leave behind.
One great way to do this is by ordering custom postcards from The Mines Press ahead of time. Sending a thank you note to a neighbor caring for your pet or well wishes to a friend you’ll be leaving behind is a great way to stay connected to those you’ll be leaving. The same way you might have during the middle of the pandemic to far-away relatives, you’ll want to be in touch with people in your daily support system. If you’re really creative or a business owner, you can even design a custom postcard with a company logo or a picture of the open road. Your friends or customers are sure to get a kick out of hearing about your adventure.
Packing Comforts of Home
The most important thing you can pack is an open mind. Ironically, part of that starts with home. For a great trip any time of year, it’s a good idea to bring with you the comforts of home. While you’ll want to pack for the climate you’re driving toward, it’s smart to consider bringing clothes you can layer, your favorite items and products, and your best pillow or blankets. By having a piece of home with you, you’ll be less likely to get homesick and feel more comfortable in strange places.
Do what you can to plan extra days into your trip so that you can be more flexible as those roadside attractions tempt you to stop. When it’s time to hit the open road, you’ll be set to have a better trip if you can live in the moment, stay connected, but also feel more at home. Happy travels to you. Take the scenic route and don’t forget to take pictures!