Guest Post: Ten Things to Bring on a Road Trip

I hope you're not tired of the numerous guest posts this week, it just sort of worked out that way (: Anyway, meet Geoff Herback, author of Nothing Special. He's written a really fun list about road trips for you!

When I'm not writing books, I'm writing for Radio Happy Hour or developing ridiculous musical bits.
When I'm not writing, I'm teaching writing at Minnesota State, Mankato, which means I write a lot of comments about writing on student writing.

Writing a lot of writing and reading about writing and writing on reading. 

TOP TEN THINGS TO BRING ON A ROAD TRIP

                         

I am always woefully unprepared when I hit the road.  Generally I gain a lot of weight from eating truck stop junk and also have to buy supplies along the way, because I’m not a good planner.  So, if I were to think about it ahead of time, rather than taking off half-cocked, these are the ten items I would make sure I had:

1. A cooler for my beer.  Just kidding.  I’d bring a cooler for yogurt and health drinks and for lettuce.  I’d also bring some almonds for heart health and some delicious fruit to tide me over until I can hit the next organic co-op along the way.
2. Stretchy pants.  After agonizing over how much I don’t like vegetables, I will need to have stretchy pants, because I will likely freak out after a day, and then I’ll eat pizza and sub sandwiches and many bacon cheeseburgers.  If I’m in the south, I will eat cheese grits.  My jeans will burst and I’ll need stretchy pants.
3. A harmonica.  I’ll use this when I’m singing the fat man blues.
4. Several phone chargers.  I spill coffee on everything electronic when I’m road tripping.  Phone chargers fizzle fast.  I’ll likely need a new phone or two, but that’s a risk I’ll take (won’t buy in advance, due to expense).
5. A paper map.  Electronics die when you spill coffee.  Paper just looks gross.  You can still read a map through coffee stains.
6. A Frisbee.  My muscles get all knotted up.  Nothing feels better than chasing a Frisbee through the winds of some foreign place (if my heart can take it after all the bacon).
7. Mad libs.  These are funny for three minutes.  The best three minutes of your trip will be spent creating a dirty mad lib.
8. A friend or two.  My friend Sam and I went on a two-month book tour a few years ago.  We took lots of hilarious pictures in crazy places – like at crazy Niagra Falls – which made the trip seem fun!  
9. Underpants.  Remember, you will want a change of underpants at some point.
10. A notebook.  The truth about road trips is that much time is spent suffering, confused, wishing you were home.  I love that.  I would rather suffer than be bored.  You get to know yourself when you’re uncomfortable.  Bring a notebook so you can keep track of your beautiful monkey thoughts.

That sounds about right.
Geoff

Website: http://geoffherbach.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/geoffherbach

Felton Reinstein thought he had it all-a great girlfriend, an athletic scholarship in the bag, and football friends he could totally count on. Wrong Like an elephant storming a house of cards, it all comes crashing down. And it's Felton's fault. Turns out his little brother has taken an impromptu road trip to Florida (aka desperate flight from all the talented people) to make a bid for stardom (aka fronting a hotel rock band with escapees from a retirement community). What's a big brother to do but help pick up the pieces, even if it means giving up all the status, all the glory and once again facing a life of nothing special.

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