Driving for an extended period of time by yourself can be exhausting. Your legs hurt, your eyes are sore, and most of all, you’re bored out of your mind! Make a solo drive more fun with these easy ways to pass the time.
Music
A long ride can quickly become more tedious when you are forced to hit the scan button on the radio every two minutes — especially if you keep losing the signal just as you find a station you actually like. Keep the ride running smoothly by bringing music you know you’ll enjoy. Whether that means pulling out those old CDs you forgot you had lying around, or investing in a connective device so you can listen to your iPod or MP3 player in the car, find a way to make sure you have all your favourite tunes to listen to all day long.
Books on tape
Books on tape never seem to get the credit they are due. Many of us complain we don’t have enough time to do all the reading we would like. Now’s the time to quit complaining and enjoy that book you’ve been meaning to read. Stop by your local library or bookstore and ask what they have to offer in terms of books on tape. You are sure to find this a great way to make the driving time speed by.
Games
Sure, car games tend to be more fun when there are others in the car, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun on your own. That old staple of creating sentences or terms from people’s licence plates (TDP = tap dancing penguins, for example) is just as fun now as it used to be. Or you can guess where each car is going and why. We all enjoy people-watching every now and then, so take this time to “car watch.”
Use your bluetooth
Being trapped in a car can be a good time to catch up with your friends and family. Consider letting them know in advance that you have a long drive coming up and you were wondering if they would be free to chat at such-and-such time. Everyone’s had their share of long, tedious rides, so chances are they’ll jump at the chance to catch up and keep you entertained.
Use your imagination
As adults in today’s world, we constantly get sucked into the habit of relying on external sources of entertainment. All those online games, YouTube videos and big-budget movies can cause us to forget to make use of one of our best means of entertainment — our imaginations. Just as a child can amuse himself with a pot and a spoon for hours on end, you too can let your mind take you to interesting places. Before you set out on your long drive, come up with a list of things that would be fun to think about. Maybe it’s planning what you would wear and say if you were ever nominated for an Academy Award. Or maybe it’s determining what you would do if you retired tomorrow. Everything from how you would redecorate your kitchen to what it would be like to go to the Olympics is fair game. Thinking of things that stimulate and entertain you can make the time fly by.
Still, stay focused
With any of these distractions, it is still important to stay focused on the road and what is going on around you. Never forget that you are operating a moving vehicle, so you must make sure to stay alert. But there’s no reason you can’t be safe and have fun in the process!
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