Unless you are going on a road trip with your family, in which case you will have no choice, selecting your road trip companion (s) is one of the most important choices What do you do when planning your vacation?

Road trip companions that seem obvious, like your best friend or boyfriend / girlfriend, may not be the perfect choices you think they are. Road trips are the litmus test of relationships – you’ll discover your true compatibility as your journey progresses. As Mark Twain wisely said: “I have found that there is no safer way to know if you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”

Then what do you do? Where to start?

The right thing

Start by choosing someone you get along with in most situations. If you and your best friend tend to have a lot of blasts and fights (even if they love each other), maybe your best friend It is not the right person. My ex-best friend and I took a road trip together to Block Island that literally ended our friendship because we fought a lot.

Also, make sure the person you are traveling with has the same travel mindset. If you like must-see checklists and rushing from sight to sight and it’s all about chilling out and exploring in a laid-back way, you’re probably in trouble.

Your destiny

Whether you are traveling with family or friends, selecting a destination that you are excited about can make a big difference. It may seem like a no-brainer, but many people neglect to take the time to sit down and make a group decision, either because they are too busy and simply choose whatever destination comes to mind or because they don’t feel like dealing with it. the whole process of meeting and resolving it (and possibly dealing with some disagreement).

The best way to do this is to have a small party: buy pizza (or something else you like) and great drinks (alcoholic or not) and invite your fellow travelers to your house. Everyone will be in a relaxed state of mind and this will really help them to do something in an enjoyable way. Be open and listen, but don’t settle for anything less than full and enthusiastic agreement on your destiny.

Good vibrations

Once you’ve selected the perfect partners and destination for your road trip, make sure you take on one last, very important cleanup task. If you and your fellow travelers anything That has been bubbling under the surface of your relationship, something one of you is angry about or there is an irritating quirk that you have been ignoring, now is the time to bring it up.

Why not just blow it out? It’s been so long, right? Well, a road trip looks a lot like a pressure cooker and a problem with your relationship is like a ruptured seal on that pressure cooker. All that time along with very little personal space in the car, driving for hours and getting tired, and the occasional getting lost and upset are realities of road trips (along with all the fun, laughter, and bonding you’ll have in their vacations). You put that problem (break) into the intensity of a road trip (pressure cooker) and something is going to explode!

Sit down and speak it softly. Never discuss the problem with anyone other than the person you are having the problem with, as this will drag the other person into it and make things worse. He speaks from the “me” point of view: “I don’t really like country music and I know you love it. Can we find something we can both live with?” no “Your country music drives me crazy. Don’t you dare play it on our road trip!”

Taking the time before you go to select the right person, choose a destination that excites you, and address these potential issues with your fellow travelers can make a big difference to the quality of your road trip.