How to Spend 15 Hours in a Car

Yesterday I drove from the Midwest to Colorado. To pack up my life near the Rocky Mountains and say goodbye for two years.

The drive from Wisconsin to Colorado can be best described in one word: flat. 

Soooo flat, people. 
 

This is the seventh time (7!) that I have made this drive by myself. I do it in one shot. One day. That's it. Some might call that silly, but I find that roadtrips are exciting... even if they are by yourself.

So what do you do in a car... by yourself... for 15 hours?

Here is how I spent my Monday.

Before starting the engine:

• First things first, put your cell phone away. Across the car. So you're not tempted to play with it and distract yourself from your goal: driving across the country in one piece. 
• Make sure that all the mirrors are set to the appropriate angle. 
• Plug in your iPod and make sure that it is set to your "Disney" playlist. 
• Make sure your GPS is charged.
• Pack some snacks: I appreciate Pluots (plum-apricots), trail mix, a water bottle full of cold peach oolong tea and a Nalgene full of cold water.

Driving:
Here is a breakdown of what I did:
32% - Think.  Thought about the next 2 years. About Tonga. About meeting new friends and helping a community out.

15% - Sing. Made up my own Disney musical using the vehicles around me as chorus members. I don't think that most of them knew what was going on, but it was great and at the end my voice was horse.

3% - Count things. The number of semis you pass, the different color cars, the miles... whatever works.
 

 15%- Dream (with your eyes open).  Imagine myself driving an Airstream across the world (and in my dreams it floats and has boat-like capabilities).



35% - Make up stuff. Poems, stories, talk to yourself. It's all good. No one can hear you.

That's it. It was a long, but good day. And now I just need to do it all again on Saturday (in the opposite direction). Woot. Woot.