The 5-hour drive from Bucks County, PA to Amherst, MA has become a familiar one. Â I no longer have to consult the GPS on when to get off the Saw Mill Parkway (an experience that had me driving through Manhattan on a wrong turn), I know the Southington exit in CT has a Taco Bell, a Starbucks, and a gas station in a single line, and to hit up Target for whatever it is I forgot before checking into the hotel.
The actual driving part…that gets exhausting.
Anytime before starting the driving, I must have:
- Gatorade.  No coffee, no massive bottle  of water.  A regular bottle of Gatorade keeps you adequately hydrated without having to stop too many times to go to the bathroom
- A healthy number of new podcasts and music on my iPod. Â Comedy albums are the BEST for road trips–you can laugh your ass off and no one’s there to shoot you a crazy look (as opposed to listening to Aziz Ansari’s album on an overnight flight from HYD to FRA…but that’s another story)
- Snacks. Â I pack a baggie of raw walnuts and cashews to keep me satisfied on the drive up. Â It balances out the Taco Bell pit stop.
- Sunglasses. Â Ain’t nothing worse than driving 5 hours with the sun in your eyes.
- One playlist filled with the music you just can’t get enough of. Â Mine is a healthy mix of classics (Bon Jovi, The Who, The Boss, Dylan, Mellancamp…) and new saccharine pop jams (GaGa, Jay Sean, Ke$ha…stop judging me). Â I love every one on that playlist. Â And it makes the time fly.
Undoubtably, the best part of the road trip is “puttin’ some miles” on Pop’s car, at his request.
Amherst or bust.
