This spring break, I am going to North Carolina for BU’s alternative service break program. We’re working with the Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, a no-kill animal shelter in Asheville, North Carolina. We’re doing the 17 (!!!) hour drive in a van, and I am so excited. We’re stocked up with snacks, a 200 song playlist, and the 9 girls on the trip!
1. Initial excitement!
The trip began the Saturday of spring break, when we left at 7 am from BU. I didn’t sleep at all the night before, due to a mixture of nerves and WAY too much caffeine. The first two hours of the van ride were so much fun. We played 2000’s throwbacks and sang along at the top of our lungs. There are only 9 of us in a 12 person van, so we all had space to dance and stretch out. The excitement of getting to Asheville kept me pumped up for the beginning of the trip, but this excitement slowly faded around the 3-hour mark.
2. The first rest stop!
Leaving this rest stop was when I got TIRED! We stopped somewhere in Connecticut to grab food, but I am not the biggest fan of fast food. I eat it on road trips as a treat, but I always feel awful afterward. I took a very, very long nap, which I awoke from to everyone belting out “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore (which I think is a great way to wake up). I finished the last chorus with them and then fell back asleep.
3. Admiring the scenery!
This is by far the best part of any drive. On this trip, we drove through Connecticut and Pennsylvania which were pretty boring, but driving through Virginia was the beginning of the beauty. I always forget how beautiful the country is until I drive through it again. I was awake for most of this part of the trip because there was so much to look at. The mountains and farms in these states are so pretty, and I am not used to seeing this incredible open space.
4. Boredom…SO MUCH BOREDOM!
After about 10 hours of this trip, we had exhausted our playlist (and the snacks) and were all looking for a way to pass the time. We played games like grass or toast and the alphabet game, but we all mostly slept. Hours 10-15 were definitely pretty boring, but the scenery made it worthwhile.
6. ARRIVAL!
Around hour 15, we saw the sign for North Carolina. YAY! This immediately jolted all of us awake and our energy levels skyrocketed. We passed sign after sign saying that our destination was getting closer, and with every sign, we turned the radio up louder. We finally pulled into Asheville and up to where we are staying. With our drive completed, we settled and prepared for a week of hard work!
I can already tell this is going to be one of the best weeks of my life, and this van ride was just part of the adventure. I can’t wait to drive the 17 hours back home!
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