Road trip with potential romantic partner. How do we keep occupied?
May 28, 2011 8:27 AM Subscribe
Road trip with potential romantic partner. How do we keep occupied?
We're driving a few hours out of town to see a concert, staying in a hotel, then driving back.
What are fun things we can do to keep occupied in the car (or at the concert)?
Snowflaking:
Been hanging out with a great girl more and more exclusively (by hanging out I mean sex, cooking for each other, going out as a two-some). We both like each other (I know because we've both communicated it in some effusive way - she more than me). She's the first in a handful of girls that I would actually go on a road trip with.
We're driving a few hours out of town to see a concert, staying in a hotel, then driving back.
What are fun things we can do to keep occupied in the car (or at the concert)?
Snowflaking:
Been hanging out with a great girl more and more exclusively (by hanging out I mean sex, cooking for each other, going out as a two-some). We both like each other (I know because we've both communicated it in some effusive way - she more than me). She's the first in a handful of girls that I would actually go on a road trip with.
She's already a romantic partner -- you're having sex and going out on dates.
Get to know each other better. Ask her about her family, her childhood, her friends, her middle name, her favorite teachers. Bring some of your favorite music. At the concert, you can watch the concert. Enjoy and relax.
posted by Fairchild at 8:34 AM on May 28, 2011 [3 favorites]
Get to know each other better. Ask her about her family, her childhood, her friends, her middle name, her favorite teachers. Bring some of your favorite music. At the concert, you can watch the concert. Enjoy and relax.
posted by Fairchild at 8:34 AM on May 28, 2011 [3 favorites]
Best answer: -both of you can make road trip mixes and chat about the music as it comes up/learn more about your musical tastes
-listen to interesting podcasts (like storycorp or this american life) - they can often spur good conversations
-ask each other questions - talking to someone you dig is one of the best ways to keep each other company - about family, friend, life, goals, dreams, childhood, what they like to cook, read, dance to, create, etc.
-find fun random local places on/along the drive (and extend your trip by an hour or so) to stop and buy a loaf of amazing artichoke or chocolate chip or whatever bread in random town x, get locally made jam in town y, just have fun exploring along your route.
and most importantly, just have fun, breathe, get to know each other!
oh! and - what to do at a concert with someone you dig? talk about the music, listen to it, play with each other's fingers, make out, standing spoon, right?
posted by anya32 at 8:37 AM on May 28, 2011
-listen to interesting podcasts (like storycorp or this american life) - they can often spur good conversations
-ask each other questions - talking to someone you dig is one of the best ways to keep each other company - about family, friend, life, goals, dreams, childhood, what they like to cook, read, dance to, create, etc.
-find fun random local places on/along the drive (and extend your trip by an hour or so) to stop and buy a loaf of amazing artichoke or chocolate chip or whatever bread in random town x, get locally made jam in town y, just have fun exploring along your route.
and most importantly, just have fun, breathe, get to know each other!
oh! and - what to do at a concert with someone you dig? talk about the music, listen to it, play with each other's fingers, make out, standing spoon, right?
posted by anya32 at 8:37 AM on May 28, 2011
Best answer: My wife and I love to do Mad Libs on long car trips. It's amusing and only one person needs to have their eyes off the road. This was all fine and dandy until some children in our car found them, and my wife had to tear out the pages that said things like "Shakira doing the robot inside a vagina."
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:40 AM on May 28, 2011 [7 favorites]
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:40 AM on May 28, 2011 [7 favorites]
Best answer: Yes, obviously, talk to one another.
You can also bring along things for the passenger to read aloud to the driver. It's more interactive than podcasts or music. If she's driving, bring your favorite novel, play, or short story. Bring a magazine you want to read.
Also, establish beforehand if you'll want/need to switch off drivers and how you feel about making bathroom/snack stops!
posted by knile at 8:48 AM on May 28, 2011
You can also bring along things for the passenger to read aloud to the driver. It's more interactive than podcasts or music. If she's driving, bring your favorite novel, play, or short story. Bring a magazine you want to read.
Also, establish beforehand if you'll want/need to switch off drivers and how you feel about making bathroom/snack stops!
posted by knile at 8:48 AM on May 28, 2011
Seconding the Mad Libs suggestion (and they're all readily available at Old Navy stores now, which is weird but awesome). Best road trip toy ever.
posted by palomar at 9:00 AM on May 28, 2011
posted by palomar at 9:00 AM on May 28, 2011
Best answer: If it's only a few hours out, it's not going to be much of a road trip per se. What would you do with your friends in a car for a few hours? Talk, listen to music... Are you at the point where you can have comfortable silence with her? Just watch the scenery for a while. It really won't be long before you're at the concert and don't have to entertain each other anyway.
posted by asciident at 9:03 AM on May 28, 2011
posted by asciident at 9:03 AM on May 28, 2011
Best answer: Don't ruin it by letting her know that you don't think of her as an actual romantic partner, even though you've been having sex and going out with her. If you let that out, one of you is going to be walking home on the side of the highway. Accept that she's actually your romantic partner now.
I think I saw an awesome book that were games people could play when they are on a road trip with their kids. I can't remember the name, but I'm googling for it. Borrow ideas from that.
I also recommend borrowing books-on-CD from the library for long drives.
posted by anniecat at 9:23 AM on May 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
I think I saw an awesome book that were games people could play when they are on a road trip with their kids. I can't remember the name, but I'm googling for it. Borrow ideas from that.
I also recommend borrowing books-on-CD from the library for long drives.
posted by anniecat at 9:23 AM on May 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: If you're in an area with lots of radio stations, and the car has a working radio, you can play name-that-tune.
posted by box at 9:27 AM on May 28, 2011
posted by box at 9:27 AM on May 28, 2011
Best answer: A few hours out of town isn't much of a drive. So basically, this is just like any weekend you would spend with your (actual) romantic partner.
What things do you normally do together? That plus some sightseeing in town and boom, weekend over. Stop psyching yourself out by thinking of it as a big roadtrip/vacation.
posted by J. Wilson at 9:42 AM on May 28, 2011
What things do you normally do together? That plus some sightseeing in town and boom, weekend over. Stop psyching yourself out by thinking of it as a big roadtrip/vacation.
posted by J. Wilson at 9:42 AM on May 28, 2011
I love Madlibs, as Bulgaroktonos suggested. I also like songs you can sing along to (generally 80s stuff for me), podcasts, and silly word games. Being random and having a sense of adventure also helps - my wife has a tendency to want to stick to the road, and I don't mind driving off a little to see the "World's Biggest Jar of Whale Blubber" or whatever. These will build great memories together that you can joke about for a while (even if the World's Biggest whatever is a complete tourist trap).
posted by SNWidget at 10:45 AM on May 28, 2011
posted by SNWidget at 10:45 AM on May 28, 2011
It sounds like a good opportunity to just talk and get to know each other a bit more (with some music in the background to lighten the mood).
posted by Diag at 12:04 PM on May 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Diag at 12:04 PM on May 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Your definition of "hanging out" is weird to me. Do you want to be with her or not? Make your mind up and don't send mixed messages to her. If you're having sex and going on dates, including weekend trips with a hotel stay, you're dating. If that's not what you want, tell her.
I could be reading WAY to much into this, but given the situation you described, I think she'd be upset to see that you described her as a potential partner, not as a girlfriend.
As to your question, I like podcasts for general car journeys. However, I have a rule about only listening to the band we're seeing on the drive to the venue.
There are some great metafilter threads about good questions to start conversations. My favourite discussion-inducing question is:
Imagine you're on a desert island, and you are offered the choice of ONE of the following (but can't have any of the others): music, TV shows, movies, or books. You can have unlimited content in your area of choice.
If, like my partner, they try to cheat, you may need to make up additional rules (like no, TV shows don't include movies playing on cable TV, and yes, you can have musical instruments as part of music, and books can't include music tabs/notation...etc...)
posted by guster4lovers at 12:30 PM on May 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
I could be reading WAY to much into this, but given the situation you described, I think she'd be upset to see that you described her as a potential partner, not as a girlfriend.
As to your question, I like podcasts for general car journeys. However, I have a rule about only listening to the band we're seeing on the drive to the venue.
There are some great metafilter threads about good questions to start conversations. My favourite discussion-inducing question is:
Imagine you're on a desert island, and you are offered the choice of ONE of the following (but can't have any of the others): music, TV shows, movies, or books. You can have unlimited content in your area of choice.
If, like my partner, they try to cheat, you may need to make up additional rules (like no, TV shows don't include movies playing on cable TV, and yes, you can have musical instruments as part of music, and books can't include music tabs/notation...etc...)
posted by guster4lovers at 12:30 PM on May 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: There are a lot of conversation games; also you can search here or at wikipedia for "word games" for more options.
posted by LobsterMitten at 12:32 PM on May 28, 2011
posted by LobsterMitten at 12:32 PM on May 28, 2011
Mad libs are a great suggestion and they have tons of different themes, including Mad Libs on the Road! Other favorites: Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Libs, Spongebob, Worst Case Scenario.
We play an Alphabet game, where you have to find all the letters of the alphabet, in order, on roadside signs and billboards. Using letters on the sides of trucks or any moving object is forbidden. When you see a letter in a word, you have to yell out the word and the letter (i.e., "McDonald's, A! Burger King, B! Chevron, C!"), and the other person is not allowed to use the same word for that letter. Js and Qs are tough!
For extra challenge, play the Alphabet game backwords!
posted by misha at 12:49 PM on May 28, 2011
We play an Alphabet game, where you have to find all the letters of the alphabet, in order, on roadside signs and billboards. Using letters on the sides of trucks or any moving object is forbidden. When you see a letter in a word, you have to yell out the word and the letter (i.e., "McDonald's, A! Burger King, B! Chevron, C!"), and the other person is not allowed to use the same word for that letter. Js and Qs are tough!
For extra challenge, play the Alphabet game backwords!
posted by misha at 12:49 PM on May 28, 2011
You and your actual romantic partner can do things like conversing and playing stupid games. Just generally be silly. If she is introverty, acknowledge that times in which neither of you are speaking are fine and dandy.
Do not under any circumstances talk to her about her status as a 'potential' partner if you in any way, shape or form wish to enjoy this road trip.
posted by mleigh at 1:49 PM on May 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
Do not under any circumstances talk to her about her status as a 'potential' partner if you in any way, shape or form wish to enjoy this road trip.
posted by mleigh at 1:49 PM on May 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
Games are always a good way to fill time, and they can be as structured or unstructured/conversational as you want - 20 Questions, Would You Rather, the various games already listed above, etc. I also like books on tape (especially funny ones - David Sedaris or similar) and comedy albums.
posted by naoko at 10:57 PM on May 28, 2011
posted by naoko at 10:57 PM on May 28, 2011
Response by poster: I love you guys, and how you somehow manage to identify the issues under the surface, like my gross misunderstanding of the female psyche.
The time passed quickly and comfortably. We had a great time playing DJ, writing madlibs, and dancing at the concert. We even talked once or twice!
posted by jander03 at 8:59 AM on May 31, 2011
The time passed quickly and comfortably. We had a great time playing DJ, writing madlibs, and dancing at the concert. We even talked once or twice!
posted by jander03 at 8:59 AM on May 31, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
So what you mean is, Road trip with
potentialactual romantic partner?Also, do you really need to know how to keep occupied at a concert?
posted by jon1270 at 8:31 AM on May 28, 2011 [18 favorites]