Road Trippin'...

    Jared’s Dictionary defines a road trip as “any excursions that takes you and fellow students to a place different from your school for at least a weekend. This week, in continuation of my current blog series “Culture and Connections at Miami,” I write to you today about the dear topic of road tripping. I recently returned from a trip to New York City where I celebrated the New Year. This trip was incredible and it got me to start thinking about the road trips I have taken in college. In my short tenure at Miami I have actually been part of six excursions off Miami’s campus including (in historical order) Chicago, Los Angeles, Fargo, Ohio State (Columbus), Milwaukee, and New York City. While these trips have taken multiple forms of transportation, have involved different people, and were for entirely different reasons, I can unequivocally say they are a necessary part of college life. And though I am not sure I will be able to exactly convey the importance of these trips, I can really sum it up with two words, “they rock.”
    Road trips are initially incredible because they allow you to expand your knowledge of geography. My philosophy is that you don’t truly know a place until you have become lost their while your driving. This was especially true when I was in Los Angeles and had to drop my brother off at work. I then made a simple wrong turn driving out of West Hollywood and found myself jockeying for position on the ten-lane U.S. Highway 105. It was, to say the least, an adventure. But what this showed me is how to move along the different highways in L.A. and how everything connects. This is important because I can now intelligently digest and discuss information concerning L.A. driving. Oh, and it taught me how to use a N(ot) F(or) T(ourists) guide, which is truly vital for survival in a big city.
    Another aspect of road trips that I personally enjoy is the high permeability of cultural immersion. Each different city or region in the U.S. has its own distinct cultural tastes. One great way to gauge differences in culture between areas is their dining capabilities. In New York, you know you can get a good slice of pizza, a darn fine hot dog, and a slew of ethnically diverse food that can positively bankrupt a person. For instance, when I was there, I was able to try Argentinean food, Vietnamese food, and some interesting (and traditional) Chinese entrees – chicken feet, lamb intestine, etc. While food is only one aspect of the cultural possibilities in different locations, it can expand your taste palate and cultural knowledge. This is important because someday, when you are deciding on a job and place to live, the cultural diversity may help you decide which places would be the coolest to live and work in.
    Finally, road trips are awesome because of the experiences you have. Yes, I recognize “experiences” can mean just about everything, but here I mean it in the sense that you meet life long friends and make memories that will never leave your mind (no matter how hard you try). I won’t go into too much detail on this part because it is different for each person, but it is pretty incredible. Needless to say, these experiences will alter your life and worldview perspective for the better.
To say that road trips are a fundamental part of collegiate life may be throwing them out of proportion. I am not trying to say that if you don’t go on road trips you will have a morose and boring college life, but they will definitely make your experience more interesting (and increase your conversational topic range). What is more important with this part of culture at Miami is not the necessity of these trips, but rather the fact that they are often unnecessary. Students do not have to drive off campus to have fun, these trips are instead more therapeutic to allow students move away from the daily stress of college life. And in that sense, road trips are truly important because they allow students to maintain sanity.
    While this little blog is not meant to portray every aspect of road trips, it does highlight a few aspects of these trips that make them worthwhile. At the same time it really depends on who you are and how much you enjoy moving outside your comfort level. If you are like me and enjoy experiencing new places and people, then I would recommend road trips whole-heartedly. If not, weigh up the options of the trip and determine for yourself. Either way, I am going to keep road trippin’ as much as I can and hopefully someday I will be able to road trip with some of you, fellow bloggeteers!

Comments

[Olivia]

prickley lamb intestines are not meant to be ingested. they are meant to do the digesting.