I just finished the longest road trip of my life: a 4-day drive from San Jose, CA to Orlando, FL.

We spent almost 12 hours/day on the road and drove through 8 states to get to the home of The Most Magical Place on Earth. We encountered everything from erratic drivers to getting lost in Houston to beautiful historic landmarks. After all that’s said and done, I had way more fun driving here than flying – and learned a lot of important lessons along the way.

Here’s 5 things that I learned that are crucial for your next road trip.

There’s 2 Important Things That Need to Handle the Trip: The First is Your Car

Our rental was almost going to be something reminiscent of Scott Lang’s impounded van from Avengers: Endgame.

We needed to rent a moving van to transfer most our belongings across the country. So imagine the look on our faces when the employee at the rental company (who’ll remain unnamed) showed us to a van that had massive dents all around it, rust over its top, and over 100k miles on it. We just couldn’t imagine packing my stuff in it and trekking 3,000 miles to Florida without having something go wrong. After insisting for 30 minutes to get a better van, we were finally given one that looked much more presentable – and only with 30k miles! Thank goodness too, because with every new county and state we entered, the roads ranged from pristine to feeling like we were off-roading.

The same goes for your personal vehicle – without healthy tires and a tuned up engine, you’re risking trouble down the road. So do yourself a favor and get your car checked by a trusted mechanic before going on a long road trip.

Without a capable vehicle, your road trip could be a potential disaster.

The 2^nd Most Important Thing is Your Co-Driver

Can you imagine driving 3,000 miles with your annoying, dirty college roommate?

I can’t either – thankfully I had my Dad with me. We share a lot of the same interests, listen to the same music, and understand each other’s quirky humor. We also read each other’s minds, which makes long trips easy. We’ve got a really good relationship, so sitting next to him for 12 hours/day actually helped with dealing with crazy roads, crazy weather, and crazy drivers.

Those that go on solo road trips most likely love the long drives, but that doesn’t mean that your co-driver can’t be a solid music playlist.

In the end, your co-driver, whether or not it’s a person or a playlist, can make or break you.

Stay Alert for Hazards and Landmarks

I missed the “Welcome to Florida” sign while driving into The Sunshine State.

After planning to move to Florida for the last 6 months and driving 2,500 miles, I can’t tell you how bummed I was to miss the welcome sign to my new home. Ironically, it was because I was typing this blog post. If it was any consolation though, between passing Six Flags Magic Mountain, accidentally driving into Downtown Houston and seeing the George H. W. Bush monument, and driving down St. Charles Ave, Bourbon St, and French Quarter, there were a ton of cool spots we saw.

One of the great things about having a co-driver is that they can point out things you don’t see. Of course, more than seeing the views and landmarks, staying alert keeps you safe on the road – but you already knew that.

You might not be able to see everything, but you gotta keep an eye out for things you might not expect.

Keep Your Body Happy: Move Every Chance You Get

Our rental van didn’t have a cruise control feature.

Imagine leaving your foot on the gas pedal for 4 hours before your next rest stop. My ankle felt so stiff at the gas station! Don’t forget your back and hips either – they need some movement after all that sitting.

If you want to keep your body happy on your next road trip, try these:

Small cat-cows and sidebends keep your hips and low back moving in different directions

Change your sitting position every 10-15 minutes

You’re always looking left or right when driving – try sidebending (bring your ear to your shoulder) every now and then

Move your ankles every few minutes: ankle circles, ankle pumps, and even tapping your foot to the music does the job

Driving through rolling hills? On the downhill, let up on the gas pedal to briefly stretch your ankle

Take full advantage of your rest stops: go for a walk, stretch your ankles, hips, back, and neck, do some jumping jacks or push ups

Patience is a Virtue That Could Save Your Life

Before this trip, I thought California drivers were the craziest ones.

The moment we crossed the border into Louisiana, I was completely taken back by the number of very… “adventurous” drivers on the interstate – outside of any major city. It wasn’t just that 0% of them were changing lanes without using their signal light. It was the drivers tailgating at 80mph in a torrential downpour, getting cut off every 5 minutes, and the occasional lane weaver.

Take California drivers, combine them with Florida drivers, turn their “crazy driving” knob up to 11, and you’ve got the drivers I came across in Louisiana.

Either way, when you’re on a long road trip, you can’t afford to risk your life reacting to unpredictable drivers.

I like to think that whenever someone cuts me off, they must have a very valid excuse. “They must be going to the ER.” “Maybe they’re hurrying to the hospital to give birth.” It humanizes them and allows you to empathize with them.

Play the loooooooooong game, pack your patience, and make it to your destination in one piece.

So the next question is: where are you driving next?