On Road Trips and Regan

The road trip is one of the staples of college tradition. Two of my recent voyages showed me why that is the case.

Over the past few months I have been part of two road trips originating from RIT. The first was heading to Philadelphia to see Mogwai, one of my favorite bands. There is a photo collection of the event on flickr.

The Mogwai trip was arguably one of the more frightening weekends of my life. I suppose leaving a car parked in the middle of a desolate lot in the middle of downtown Philadelphia and returning to it on foot around midnight can do that to you.

Also, a note to Philly: your cheesesteaks are not anything special. Having eaten a real “Philly Cheesesteak” on this trip I can assure all non-Philadelphia residents that the cheesesteak you ate last week is identical to the one someone is digesting tonight in the City of Brotherly Love.

Rather than continue on this path of meat and cheese, I should move forward to the second road trip this year. It was a trip across New York to Binghamton to see my favorite comedian, Brian Regan. For those who have not seen any of Brian Regan’s comedy, check out some clips on YouTube like this one.

The best part about the show was that it was primarily new material. He worked in a few jokes that I had heard previously, but I would estimate 90% or more was completely fresh. Perhaps even more telling of his comedic genius is that while he told a joke that I had heard and/or watched over ten times, I laughed just as hard as I did the first time. His mannerisms and improv jokes live make him even more hysterical in person. During one sequence of jokes it is quite likely that my brain did not receive oxygen for several minutes. I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe, and at the end my cheeks were sore from so much smiling and laughter.

But let me get back to road trips. The best part is that the trip can be a complete success whether or not the planned event pans out. In my case both the concert and the comedy show were everything I expected and more. However should they have failed miserably, I would still consider both road trips successful. As girls have continually tried to explain to me concerning romantic comedies, “It is not the destination, but the journey“.

Their poor movie advice applies fairly well to this activity. Throwing a bunch of friends into a car with an iPod, some fast-food, and the open road inevitably forms some great memories. A few tips to consider on your next road trip:

• Always be open to any suggestions. Someone’s absolutely terrible idea could lead to one of the funniest stories of your life time.
• When visiting a city, never eat at a restaurant you could find at home.
• No matter how much your friends are against it (and needlessly insult you by saying “Don’t be that guy”), take pictures. They will thank you in the long run.

Have you embarked on any road trips? What advice would you give about them?

All jokes at the city of Philadelphia’s expense were just for ha-ha’s, even though the Steelers own the Eagles.