And recently, my parents and I decided to go for the same and we decided that this time it will be a road trip. 

Coming from a nuclear family of four, road trips have always been a part of our family rituals. Whether it is covering a 5-hour-long distance to an overnight journey, we have done it all.  

But the sad part about rituals are that once you grow up and move out, it all seems to fade away. So, naturally reliving my childhood with the family in the form of a road trip was something I was eagerly looking forward to.  

Now, whether you are going for a vacation with the family for the first time or the 1000th time, let us all agree that every road trip with them is pretty much the same.  

I mean every family member has an unsaid stipulated role that they follow religiously and the role starts much before the trips even commence.

The mothers, for instance, are the official trip planners. From literally every medicine ever to tons of food to even a razai and a pillow, anything you’d ever think is covered. 

The fathers are the official clocks. ‘We need to start right on time because obviously, raat mein gaadi kon chalayega?’ 

And no matter how old you’d become, your job as the kids of the family will always be just to wake up, get ready and sit inside the car on time (Read: never happens)  

The fun part about going by road to another place is that it brings all the fun memories about your childhood back to life. You start reliving that time when you all went on that trip to the hills when you were just six or you start getting to know stuff about your parents you didn’t think you’d ever come to know.  

‘In our times, I used to take your mom out for barf ke gole’, tumhari generation ko toh bas gelato khana hai.

Sure, we get updated about all the gossip about our door ke rishtedaar who honestly we didn’t even know about until this road trip happened. But it sure as hell is fun when you come to know that your fourth cousin has shifted to The States. Isn’t it? 

But the ultimate part about a road trip with the family is the fight over music. Whether it’s going to be the latest English music that you and your sibling want to play or those Kishore Kumar songs that your parents can sing along to, it’s a continuous battle. 

Eventually, Kishore Kumar wins and we end up with our headphones on OR just end up with the same old antakshari. 

And how can one forget about the constant banter between you and your siblings over that last piece of chips or that last block of chocolate?

I mean if your mother doesn’t scream at least once that she’s never coming on a road trip with you guys, then I don’t see the trip being a success.  

A road trip with the family is pretty much like a dramatic movie. Except this time, you’re not a spectator but a part of it.