You’re heading out. Your bags are packed; the car’s loaded; you’ve got a full tank of gas. Seatbelt’s on; check the mirrors. Reverse. Drive. You’re on the road.

Everyone should take a road trip. Plan a week-long vacation or a weekend trip with a friend or a group of friends. Or just get in the car, and see where you end up.

Near or far, short or long; it doesn’t matter; just go somewhere.

In high school, my yearbook class took a road trip to our book’s publishing company in Missouri. On the return trip, we stopped in Hannibal, MO, for free time, for picture ops and to see the river. The stop was one of the most memorable parts of that trip.

My freshman year of college, I went to St. Louis for a musical. On the way home, our driver missed an exit, and all of a sudden, we saw signs for Springfield. We saw a sign for Route 16 toward Mattoon, so we hopped on the exit for that road and drove through so many small towns. That drive is more memorable than the musical.

Last fall, I went to St. Petersburg where my friend’s brother was performing in a circus for the town’s festival. We spent more time in the car going there and back than we did in the town. It was worth it, first, because the circus was extremely enjoyable, and, second, the road trip provided time for my friend and I to talk and enjoy each other’s company.

The map was our friend for that trip and a few others to the St. Louis area as we needed to check it occasionally because we weren’t really sure where we were going, the fun of a road trip sometimes.

I took my longest road trip during spring break when one of my roommates and I traveled about 15 hours to South Carolina.

A long road trip sounds more glamorous, more exciting than its reality. You think you have hours on the road, time for who knows what kind of adventure. Well, there’s the road, really fast cars going through mountains, and some road kill on the side of the road by the forest.

The scenery, especially over bridges and in the mountains, is beautiful, but as mentioned before, cars and huge semis still like to speed around every curve.

Still, the drive had its good moments.

One captivating attention getter on this trip was the mystery cars, empty automobiles left along the side of the road.

On day two, after 4 1/2 hours of sleep but happy to be driving in the daylight, happy because it was sunny and happy because it was pretty, my roommate and I made a few short stops.

In Tennessee, we exited the highway for a picture stop. We stopped by a stream, thinking we chose a spot where no one would be around, but four cars drove by, including a parks worker who laughed at us. But we didn’t care; it was fun.

In North Carolina and South Carolina, we stopped and walked around the visitors centers.

It also could fun to make a road trip itself a vacation. You could stop at historical sites and tourist attractions throughout several states.

Some people may really enjoy the driving; some may love the road trip for all of the possibilities for stops along the way. The destination might be another road trip favorite. Being flexible is a key once you arrive at your destination.

On the agenda for one day in Charleston, S.C. was to see the historic district and the battery. We came across the Waterfront Park, so we walked along the pier. As I looked out at the river, I saw something gray jump up in the water — a dolphin. I was excited for a good 15 minutes. If we hadn’t been flexible, we would not have seen my favorite animals.

Six weekends remain before the semester is finished. Try to squeeze in a day or a weekend trip, or make plans to catch up with friends on a trip during the summer. Be prepared for anything to happen along the way or once you’re there.