Summer is officially here, which for me means it’s time head back to work at Delta. So, earlier this week I packed up my car (mostly with groceries for the week) and hit the road from Indy to New York. It was my second time making the 12 hour drive solo. While I wouldn’t say I was looking forward to it, I definitely managed to entertain and enjoy myself along the way with the help of a few solo road trip essentials!
NAVIGATION
Perhaps the most important part of any good road trip is a map! My navigation app of choice is Waze. Not only does it help me avoid traffic jams and tolls, it also notifies me of police, stalled cars on the shoulder and debris on the road. It’s pretty incredible!
ENTERTAINMENT
The other crucial solo road trip requirement is entertainment! I had my podcasts and playlists downloaded and ready to go before I hit the road. After catching up on the news from the night before, I finished listening to the Chernobyl podcast which breaks down every episode of the HBO miniseries. It’s fascinating and a MUST if you’ve seen the show. Here are a few of my other podcast recs!
Uncover: Escaping NXIVM follows a woman’s journey escaping the infamous self-help cult.
The Drop Out chronicles the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her fraudulent company Theranos.
The Dream dives into the dark side of multi-level marketing.
This Land explores how a homicide case could result in the largest restoration of Native American tribal land.
Chelsea Handler’s Life Will Be the Death of Me will make you laugh, then cry, then laugh some more!
As for music, I don’t know what it is, but whenever I’m on long road trips I just have to listen to country music! I used to hate it until my first solo drive from to New York. I had it blasting for nearly the full 12 hours singing out the window at the top of my lungs and when I arrived in New York, I was officially hooked! For this trip, I finally got around to upgrading to a premium Spotify account and it’s a game changer! I now have any song my heart desires at my fingertips.
SNACKS
What is it about road trips that just makes you want to snack?! I try to avoid eating junk, but I can’t resist Gardetto’s garlic rye chips. THEY’RE SO GOOD! Whatever your go to snack is, I say a solo road trip is the perfect time to splurge!
I also like having fruits or veggies and hummus on hand. And I stop at the halfway mark to get gas and grab a sandwich, just to have something a little more substantial.
HYDRATION
Having your favorite snacks is important, but hydration is key. I had 2 large water bottles with me and it was just baaarely enough. I also grabbed a coconut water and lemonade during my fuel stop just to add a little variety!
ACCESSORIES
A few accessories that no solo road tripper should be without include a portable phone charger, a phone holder and to be safe it never hurts to have jumper cables, a blanket and first aid kit available just in case!
There you have it! My solo road trip essentials! I’m curious, how you pass the time on long road trips? Anything else I should add to this list? Share your comments below!
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