“Because the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It’s all the stuff that happens along the way”. ~Emma Chase.
I’m a road trip traveler since I was in Junior High, as I remember. Now i am 32 turning 33, so it’s been 20years more and less. LoL. Doing a road trip with family members and friends. Luckily I always get a job that give me such traveling activities, so yeah, I experience road trips for work. Well, it all start with a habit from my grandpa. Dad said that he used to doing on a road trip since he was young, going around the Java Island. Maybe some part of Sumatra as well, as Dad was born and spend his childhood at Pangkal Pinang, Sumatra. Then when Dad has us, he take us the same way as Grandpa did to him. For me, it’s a good idea to remembered Grandpa: moment that Dad spent with Grandpa.
Last time I go on a road trip was first weekend of this July. Only three of us: Me, Mom, Dad. From Jakarta heading Jogjakarta. Dad and I took turns driving a car. Friends was like:
“Why driving?”,
“Isn’t it easier to fly? Anyway 12 hours driving might make parents exhausted”,
“Oh, come on, just some time a go you travel with the same route!?” (Yup, we travel the same route about 2 weeks ago, LoL).
People don’t understand, and I don’t expect them to. But I can resume some stuff why a road trip is worth to try:
It’s not about arriving at the destination.
Friends was like: “Udah sampe mana?” , “why are you still at Purwokerto? was it a heavy traffic?”. If you have enough time, It’s fine to stop by at the small cities instead of just passing it thru. We can always explore the food culinary, or famous places to hangout, or randomly visit historical places can be fun. At this part, friends who ask such questions are innocent, wasn’t their fault that I love to stop by and exploring. Anyway we ain’t a travel bus service, no need to rush because it’s about the pleasure of the traveler.
Under the sky, earth is always change.
Before the highway, there are many restaurant along the Pantura way from Cirebon to Jakarta. Now as people use the highway, only Boboko Restaurant that still exist. Years ago, beaches gate along the Pantai Selatan are not as much as nowadays. We experience that things are change. We watch it, we experience it, we sometimes talked to people about the change and how it effect the economy life. Change is something we can never refuse, no? so hit it! Like we hit the road.
People who go on road trips are spontaneous, optimistic, and wise.
Really? Hahaha.. you tell me!
Basically, the more you experience to travel is the more you experience yourself to be spontaneous and optimistic. Wise come along with those two. Road trip will challenge survival skill and instinct different way with other kind of traveling. Wherever you go (and) or stay, world are full of a diverse array of people and landscapes. No need to be friendly to everyone but once or twice somehow such challenge drives your personality into a better you.
“At the end of the day, the destination is just a stopover. It is only the journey that can drive you to contemplate and find yourself.”
Ciao!
My life is episodes of simple stories 