The next time I take a road trip…

The next time I take a road trip across the country, I will pack my own toilet paper.

The first time I took a road trip across the country, it was by bus. I was 19 and scared. I did it anyway. My desire to go to Colorado was so strong. It was worth it.

I was transferring schools and, to convince my parents, I said I would pay my own way. The bus seemed like a good (cheap) option. It took two days and nights and God only knows how many stops. At least one senior citizen and one snot-nosed kid fell asleep on my shoulder.

I arrived in Gunnison in the middle of the night. A student transported me to my dorm where I discovered, to my dismay, there was no toilet paper.

Up until this point, I had kept my cool and “warrior-ed” on. But no toilet paper? I lost it. I called my mom, 2,000 miles away, SOBBING. She calmed me down and told me there must be a gas station nearby where I could get myself a roll. She was right.

The next time I take a road trip across the country, I will meditate to remain calm, clear, and sane.

The second time I took a road trip across the country was with my parents. We traveled by Pontiac Sunbird from Colorado to NY. Somewhere around Kansas I got stir-crazy and started laughing for no reason. Mum soon joined in and we were cackling like hens, laughing uncontrollably with tears running down our cheeks. Dad simply looked on, shaking his head, denying we were related.

The next time I…