3 Lessons From My Long Road Trips

Are you planning a road trip soon with a loved one? Jimmy and I have been back and forth these past few months from NYC to Orlando, and I would love to share my lessons.

This Blog is about how lessons become wisdom and leverage our future travels, as well as our relationship and connection.

In the '90s, when I was a teen and lived in Miami, Florida, my family/friends and I used to head for a 1-day road trip to New York City (NYC). Yep, that is without staying at any hotels. That means while one person drove, the other took a nap in the back seat. One time it was 5 of us in one car, and as you can guess, it was tight! And at another time, I woke up to:

The car was spinning on the highway!

Thank God it was around 2/3 am, and the cars were far behind us; however, that was the last time I volunteered to drive with anyone straight from FL to NY. As you can imagine, that experience helped my conviction to stay at a hotel overnight because my life is precious. On the flip side, that was the last time in decades I drove for more than 2 hours straight, which means my husband has done most of the driving since being married for 11 years!

Driving Ms. Daisy

It's funny how if we take two steps back to reflect, we can track our pattern from an event that shaped us. So in the past 20 years, my husband and friends hardly rely on my driving for any road trips; however, I'm a fun co-pilot and take my job seriously. Fine! I'm annoying sometimes because it becomes my mission to ensure the driver is wide awake since I don't want the car spinning in the middle of the highway.

So below are some of my current lessons from our road trips from 2022 to 2023. I'm currently finally settled in Orlando, Florida. And I plan to pause my long road trips, reflect on the experience, see some patterns, and learn from them!

Road Trip Lesson # 1 - Be Active

If you follow this Blog, I'm sure you were expecting the word "Proactive." Remember that the ultimate goal with a proactive mindset is that your Proactivity, in the long run, becomes your pattern and your ritual, which helps future packing and moving a smooth process. So what do I mean by active? I mean, active in body-mind-spirit! I noticed that driving in the past year meant one activity at all times.

My mouth was constantly chewing on food!

If you do something long, your body will remind you. My mom was notorious for packing the most delicious sandwiches ("san-which" you gotta pronounce it right!), chips, and fruits. And if you're a health-conscious person, an overload of carbs will keep you hungry and, yes, "hangry" too.

And that includes coffee! The picture above is when we started our tradition of picking up coffee before our road trips. Stuffing our faces with high amounts of carbohydrates makes the body want more! It's quick energy to the brain. And remember, whatever goes up, must come down. Besides, coffee, a diuretic, can dehydrate us in the end. And dehydration can make us hungry. So next time you think you're hungry,

You might be thirsty and dehydrated.

Again, if you've been following us for a while, we love rituals, and of course, they're fun and it's something you look forward to. So it leads me to my second Road Trip Lesson.

Road Trip Lesson # 2 - Be Flexible

Our mindset is robust, especially when we have repetition with a habit or ritual. Staying open to changes is essential for our peace of mind. The disappointment is less impactful and smoother when we stay open, like the petroleum jelly put on fighters before and after they get knocked down. I know, this sounds dramatic. However, I know how I can get if I'm too focused on "But this is what we always do!"

And then ding, ding! Fight with your spouse/bestie.

Again, I am speaking from my own experiences here and how I plan to "be" on my next road trip, yes, which would be in about two years from now. I'm just kidding. My niece and nephew live 7 hours away, so we have road trips this year. I'm going to remind myself that life is a journey with valleys, curves, and off-roads. I'm going to stay open and flexible.

Road Trip Lesson # 3 - Be 100% you

"Babe, what do you want to listen to?" I would ask, "Whatever you want to listen to!" Jimmy would answer for the first year of marriage. Ahhhh! And before you judge me for being mean, I'm talking about long trips. It's excellent to deny yourself for your loved one on a short trip. However, in a long one, chances of boredom are high since you're not really into the music/podcast.

Boredom can influence sleepiness.

My husband is a Star Wars nerd and Bible Project geek, so if I'm driving, I will fall asleep! Hey, those 2 hours count. Our guideline (see, I'm getting better on flexibility, I didn't say "rule") is that driver chooses their music or podcast. It has worked well for this past year. Last week on our "last" NY to FL trip, I introduced the Real Shakira. You know from her MTV Unplugged first album. This was my first time sharing an album that impacted me before I met Jimmy.

Showing all my colors and eclectic taste in music

This past year, we have gotten deeper than trying new albums for specific trips and our staple albums like U2 and Coldplay. It has been a stretch to open up more and share those stories, moments, and music that shape us. Jimmy doesn't speak Spanish YET. However, he got to see me, all of me, all my Latina Soul. And please stay away from how this country portrays us. We are all different! I'm Peruvian, not Puerto Rican or Mexican.

The Music part of this lesson is mixed with lesson # 1 in being Active. For me, the road and music move and activates my Spirit, and I am so grateful to have shared these moments with my husband. When we are genuinely 100% us, our Spirit (energy, breath) can truly intertwine and harmonize with one another. This alignment of our true colors can bring a special connection.

And it has enriched our relationship!

I want to add silence to this equation. That's one way to be all of you with someone else too. "Babe! What are you thinking!" I asked, "I'm being." Well, shoot, that was impactful, and my husband was 100% him. He loves his Empty Box. Have you heard of that analogy? Click here for a hilarious video. My new definition of an Empty Box is a "SPACE" Box. And that space is silent, it's quiet, and it gets to be shared with someone special.

Thank you so much for reading till the end of this Blog. I love sharing, and you got a piece of me too. I'll love to read your comments. Can you relate to any of my stories? What have been some of your lessons from your Road Trips?

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Love,

Me.