Christmas is easily my favorite time of the year. This probably has something to do with how I grew up and all the traditions we had surrounding this holiday. I am igbo, and this means that we would travel home every year or at least once in two years. It was a given.
And the best part of traveling home was the 12-hour long road trip from Lagos to the East. Looking back at it now, it must have been exhausting for the older ones but us kids had tons of fun singing, eating and just making trouble.
We also had other traditions like going for midnight mass on Christmas eve, seeing the masquerades in market squares and going for crossover night on New Year’s Eve. It was like the equivalent of a New Yorker watching the ball drop.
Times change however, and people grow. By people, I mean myself and my siblings who don’t want to go to the village for Christmas but instead cross over at a mega church in the city of Lagos.
I’m writing this list now because a cousin of mine is getting married traditionally in the village and I finally have something to look forward to. I still have to face the long trip home though, as I guess a ton of people will need to do. It’s been a tough year, flights are fully booked and whatever seats that are left are extremely costly. So, we are going on the road again! I’m honestly not complaining.
Here are my must haves for a long, 12 hour road trip.
A soft butt pillow as well as a neck pillow
People already know to carry neck pillows so that they don’t have a crank, but nobody thinks to bring a pillow for your butt. You are going to be sitting for a long time. And even if there are a few stops along the way to stretch out, you still need something to make your butt comfortable.
A fire playlist
I honestly cannot function without music, so this is a no-brainer. I have a different playlist that I am proud to say has the best compilation of songs. From Naija jams to indie, but my ultimate road trip playlist is a compilation of igbo high life to igbo rap. Songs from the greats like Osita Osadebe and Oliver de Coque to stars like Flavour and Chike really set the vibe for traveling Nigeria’s inter state roads.
A good amount of snacks
I like to eat and if you are like me then you won’t want to wait for stops or even mealtime to munch on something. I always have pringles on road trips as well as other things. The only thing is with this is you shouldn’t take too spicy snacks that would make you thirsty. I only take tiny sips of water on road trips because I’m not about to do my business just anywhere, lol.
Comfortable clothes
I’m the queen of comfort at all times and most especially when traveling. You would never catch me in jeans even when flying and so I most definitely would not do that when on a road trip. I stick to light breezy dresses. This also helps if you have an active bladder and need to relieve yourself. TMI, but necessary.
Pre downloaded videos
Forget about WiFi on the trip. It’s pretty much nonexistent. So make sure to download all your Netflix shows and your YouTube videos to watch on the trip.
A power bank
You’re going to need your phone to be on all through the trip. So stay strapped with a good power bank to recharge it and you should have a good trip.
That’s it! Have a good trip, stay safe and vigilant and enjoy your holidays!
