How to Drive Cross Country with a Significant Other

Driving across the country was always our dream. However, stories of break ups following a cross country trip made us think we needed to have amusing tricks up our sleeve (plus, a few practical things, too). Here are some helpful hints to traveling across the country and being even better friends afterwards.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• transportation
• significant other
• money
• things to amuse (see below)

1. Have a plan on dealing with money. Seriously, having money issues is a top three reason for a couple to break up. Budget, save and analyze receipts, put all your money together, separate it...whatever you decide, stick to it and/or only change it as a team, if needed.

2. 
   Inside the car; The Plains

   Talk about driving dynamics. I don't like to drive as much and my boyfriend loves to drive most of the time, so we figured it was ok if he drove more than me. Neither of us felt bad when that happened.

3. Do you like luxury, roughing it, or a combination? Make sure to combine both of your preferences and have enough money to cover those expenses.

4. Not only love each other, like each other a whole lot. If you are truly best friends, you will have more times laughing together than being annoyed.

5. Get out maps and separately create ideal routes, or itineraries. Then, combine them. Include at least one place that each of you HAS to explore. Fill in the gaps with what both of you want to do, or compromise however makes sense.

6. Plan and remain flexible about all plans.

7. Don't tell all of your stories all at once.

8. 
   Mt. Ranier: Real, Sketched, Photograph

   Bring books, travel games, mix CDs or comparable. If you are sentimental, bring one frivolous thing from home you would have missed. Try out a new (transportable) hobby like knitting, sketching, etc. Bring a camera, but try to not let the lens get in the way of real life.

9. Make sure to bring a surprise, or two, for the other person. I brought the final book in a series he was reading. We read to each other around the fire and in the tent. It was a great way to decompress and he felt very loved.

10. 
    Amazing, Spontaneous Stop

    Read out loud in the car. If one, or both of you can. We also brought a non-fiction book we were both interested in that paralleled our own journey in some ways. We were able to know more about the crazy, beautiful places we were experiencing by reading about them as we were in the car.

11. If you can't read in the car, consider buying, or borrowing from the library, books on tape. Sometimes you just need to hear someone else's voice.

12. 
    Big Breaths Somewhere Pretty

    Take deep breaths, ignore the other person periodically when they are talking about nothing and make sure to pay really good attention to the big stuff.

Tips & Warnings

• Have fun!
• Traveling is addicting.

Resources

• Other cross country advice

[grouch]

on 1/26/2008 Step 8 is very helpful. No matter how much you love someone you always need a little me time. These things would give you just enough away time even though your still sitting side by side.