We live in a 24/7 always connected, always on, always “plugged in” world. If you’re a social media enthusiast, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. You’ve probably slapped your own hand a few times for checking email during dinner, staying up way too late thanks to Facebook or tweeting too much during an event when you should be spending more time talking to people.
Many of us are so used to being connected that we find it hard to break that always available mentality when we go on vacation. Prime example: I was in Santa Monica this past weekend for a wedding, but it’s my one and only vacation this summer (not counting my honeymoon). Yet, I still responded to every tweet, email, Gchat, GroupMe message, etc. in a timely manner. I even took some time to campaign for me and my crazy kitty to win Identity PR’s cutest pet contest (give us a vote by leaving a comment!).
Did I enjoy my vacation and the wedding? Absolutely. But did I truly unplug during my vacation? Not even close.
That’s why I’ve decided us always on, always connected, social media enthusiasts need to take more road trips. Participating in the Chevy SXSW road trip with Team Motown was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. Yes social media was a huge part of our trip, but so was the bonding time we had while we were trapped in a car for five days on the trip to and from Austin.
Don’t think road trip means you have to travel hundreds of miles. It could be a mere 45 minutes or an hour. I did this last week with someone who I consider to be a good friend. We talk multiple times each week, yet we rarely have time for lengthy, uninterrupted discussions about our personal lives. The conversation that ensued during this mini road trip was a welcomed change.
Why are road trips conducive to learning more about your travel partners and having a different type of meaningful conversation that can’t be replicated online?
1. If you’re the driver, you can’t (or you shouldn’t!) tweet, text or email while you’re driving. This makes it easy to devote more attention to a conversation with your travel partner(s).
2. If it’s you and one other person or even 2-3 other people in the car, it will be an awkward trip if all you’re doing is messing around on your phone the entire time. And that’s just plain rude. You don’t want to be that guy.
3. You’re in a confined area where your travel partner(s) will hopefully feel comfortable opening up to you and sharing details about who they are and what they’re all about, and vice versa.
4. Music can break up the silence, but who wants to take a road trip without actually talking to their travel mates? If you’re with someone you don’t know that well, break the ice by asking some general questions (what do you do outside of work, what type of music do you like, have you attended any interesting events/conferences lately, etc.).
I know the thought of traveling with people you don’t know well isn’t exactly appealing to everyone. But push out of your comfort zone. Try it at least once and see what comes out of the experience. Even if you travel with someone you know well, it’s a chance to get reacquainted with a good friend and expand upon your daily/weekly conversations.
Have you had any positive road trip experiences lately? Did you develop a strong relationship with someone during a road trip? Do you think it’s possible to have the same type of conversation online as you can in an intimate setting (like during a road trip)?