Journal #4- Traveling Tales

Every year my family travels to visit my relatives in Minnesota and Missouri. The trip to Minnesota takes ten hours and the trip to Missouri takes six, so we get a lot of car time during these trips. Many of these voyages involve at least one family member being cranky which makes the trip miserable for the rest of us. Being cramped up in one location is never a fun experience when you are with someone who does not want to be there. For most of these trips I read, play Gameboy, or drive for most of the trip. The good thing about long car rides is that you never really have anything you have to do. This means you can make up stuff to do or just relax and look out the window. The biggest impact that long car rides have had on me is the family bonding experience it provides. You get to just talk to your family and hold meaningful conversations outside of your crazy and busy life. This provides a great opportunity to think about things that have been on your mind. Another long trip that has had a significant impact on me is going to Bigstuf in Florida. My church took two charter buses on a trip for eighteen hours and it was an overnighter on the bus. It provided a great time to just hang out with friends and even get to meet new people.  There is just something special about long car rides that bring out the best and worst in people and it is fun to see the diverse opinions of people piled in close quarters.  Long car rides have impacted me by providing a fresh opportunity to converse with others or simply enjoy a few hours of peace and quiet.  Often times I even look forward to the car rides on vacation because it is the perfect time to read books without any distractions.  Travelling on long trips has had a significant impact on my life.