As a college student, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and generally tired of constantly studying late nights and working all of the time. Some ways that students can reduce stress are working out, reading, or doing yoga. Some students don’t know productive ways to reduce stress at all. Although I do all of these things to help the stress, I have found that a good road trip is the perfect way to ease my mind.
Road Trip Route
I’ve taken many road trips over my short twenty years. I’ve found that one of my favorite trips to make is the one I take once every couple of months to see my family in Elizabeth City. Most people don’t know where I am from when I tell them, but it’s a short drive from the outer banks and about 5 hours from Charlotte. I usually take this trip with my boyfriend or alone. One of my favorite parts of the road trips is the scenery. We take the longer route because mountains are breathtaking at all times- don’t try to argue with me on this! The silhouettes of the mountains are breathtaking as clouds. We come across small towns with rare and beautiful antique shops that draw you in with that welcoming mom and pop feeling that comes with them.These little shops make me think about the people who own them and what they might be like just by looking at the outside of their livelihood. Finally, we end up close to the beaches. It is one of the world’s only natural beaches left and somehow we grew up right next to it. The trip really allows me to open up my mind a little more with each passing place.
How I Make a Long Car Ride Fun
My boyfriend and I always blast the music and talk the whole time. Sometimes we just listen to the music without talking and something about that really just helps me bring myself back to peace. We don’t have a music preference for most of the ride. We bounce around to every genre trying to see who can rap faster or hit the highest notes. Some of the artists we enjoy the most are J. Cole, James Arthur, Luke Combs, and Drake. Besides listening to music, we like to have all different kinds of conversations. One of my favorites was the time we tried to figure out which song we would sing if someone was holding us hostage and the only way we could survive is if we sang it word for word. His were every J. Cole songs known to man and mine were anything by Chance the Rapper. Mostly, we talk about our family and different things we have planned for our future including traveling, where we want to live after school, and what we want to end up doing for the rest of our lives. The little things really help me open up and enjoy the time passing. I call it a reset because we always talk about things going forward and never back. It makes me only look forward and strive for what is possible. Even when school is setting me back a little, I will always have the trip to help me get back on top.
The whole roadtrip has a theme of let’s me think of things other than school and what I need to be working on. If you are the type of person who loves to see different things and people, i would suggest trying to take a little trip somewhere just to ease your mind. I’ve always needed that reset because it has helped me pull through when I needed it the most. When I return from this trip and start school work again, I feel refreshed and ready to get what I need to do done. My heart feels warm and full from just enjoying the drive there and back. It is an overall therapeutic experience and I love the way it works for me!