My time in the car and what I've learned so far.

After almost three weeks on the road and at least two hours on the road daily (at least one of those in the pitch black on dirt roads), a girl has a lot of time on her hands. Often after a long day of work and very little sleep it can be difficult to stay focused and I have to say I now have a lot more respect for people who drive for a living.

Driving along the CA-14

Luckily my rental car has been a savior. It has sync technology and I have been rocking out to my iPhone's music library through the stereo system since minute one of my first drive. So what albums and artists have gotten me through the long drives? Well my usual go to is something that I can listen to in total and sing along to, so musicals are an obvious choice. Les Miserables, The Book of Mormon, Avenue Q and the Producers are just some of the choices I have been belting out along CA 14. Next up on my short list are my Comedy gods, Monty Python, and favorite bands, the Dixie Chicks, Hootie and the Blowfish, Taylor Swift, Fleetwood Mac, Simon and Garfunkel, Billy Joel and most importantly, No Doubt. Lastly, there is always the fallback of any 90s kid, anything and everything Disney.

I definitely have started to fall back in love with not only my music collection but music in general. It is amazing how a song can be tied to an individual memory and how easily our memory banks pull those thoughts up when we hear that tune play on the radio. It is also astounding how easily humans can retain song lyrics. I love to sing and seem to memorize lyrics without even trying. Sometimes I surprise myself when I find myself singing along to a song I have not heard in 10 years.

So what have I learned from my repetitive weekly drives. 1. Always make sure you have all the right cords with you and in the right location in the car before you start driving (I have definitely had to pull over at least once to dig out my iPhone 5 cord so I can sync up my music); 2. Have water, energy drinks, and good snacks and gum; 3. Know your distances to gas stations (I had one emergency gas situation one day. Luckily a coworker had an emergency gas can on them and helped me out); 4. Have lots of music and lots of variety. You want to be prepared for every mood and musical taste.

When's your next road trip? Is it for business or pleasure?