I remember my college friends all shouting in unison, “ROAD TRIP!!!” and how all six of us would pile into Anita Lumpkin’s 1977 Ford Pinto for the 3.5 hour drive to Carolina Beach! Contorting ourselves into that motorized mini death trap, meant the twins had to “double up” with Mandy sitting on Candy’s lap. Cheerwine? Check. Cheetos? Check. Journey cassette? Check. Oh, and did somebody grab the 32 ounce bottle of baby oil for the tanning? With “Don’t Stop Believin’” blaring all the way, Britt’s Donuts, here we come!
Apparently that’s not how it works these days.
Over Christmas break, my son and his college friends mentioned a potential Spring Break trip to Florida. Conner’s mom immediately dialed 1-800-Hilton to make reservations using her “points.” Griffin’s dad called Hertz to arrange for a 2016 Suburban with unlimited mileage and enough USB power connections for the four boys and their iPhones. Merging onto I-95 South, they brought out their snacks– bottled water infused with cucumber, roasted edamame chips and gluten-free granola, as their rotating playlists fed the speakers through the wireless Bluetooth. And did someone grab the SPF 60 sunscreen?
Road trips aren’t what they used to be, but you can still pile in your car with all your safety colleagues and head to Greensboro where you’ll find me at the NC Statewide Safety Conference. Registration is free and you could earn 10 hours of MESH credit!
