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Preparing to travel is a big deal. We need to be emotionally, physically, and mentally ready to go on a road trip. If you’re not prepared, two things can happen: either you get embarrassed during your journey, or you have a successful trip (which isn’t always the case)
Kingsley traveled from Enugu to Anambra, and unfortunately, the road goddess won this time. He was embarrassed on this trip due to a lack of proper preparation.
Every week on Miles and Moments, we share traveler stories to understand how far people have journeyed and the culture shocks they’ve experienced along the way. There’s always something to learn from each story.
More Story Highlights: This Corper got lost in Kano due to language barriers… and Here is what saved him?
What’s Your Earliest Memory of Travel?
My first travel experience was with my family when I was about 8 years old. We traveled for Christmas from Enugu to Imo State. Growing up, we always traveled home during the festive period, especially at Christmas.
Nice! So what made the journey as a child exceptional?
On this particular day, during our regular yearly trip to the village, we traveled in a smaller car than usual. There were about five of us in the car. I sat in the front seat to get a better view and fully experience the journey ahead, while my three siblings and mom stayed in the back with some of our luggage.
Family trips are always exciting. Do you guys usually eat on the road while traveling?
I just remembered an experience where my shyness led to a big embarrassment during one of my past travels. But we’ll get to that later—let me finish sharing what happened on this family trip.
HA! Embarrassment, huh? We’ll come back to that in a moment.
On one of these family trips, which usually took about 2 hours from Enugu to Imo, I remember how, during police checkpoints, I used to imitate gun sounds and was hushed by my dad for doing it. I even once almost tried to grab a gun!
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Rambo! Grab a gun? How?
I’ve always been curious about a lot of things. On this day, I noticed the gun in stealth case where it was kept, and I couldn’t help but wonder how it worked. I was actually interested in grabbing it to see for myself—LMAO! My dad saved me that day; he held me back. Who knows what would have happened if not for him? Probably, the police would have packed me up somewhere and kept me there for the entire holiday—LMAO.
I haven’t heard this before, so how did the big shame come about?
This was a funny and embarrassing experience I hadn’t told anybody before. It taught me a big lesson on how to prepare for my travels in the future.
I was traveling to Enugu from Anambra, and it felt like my people had caught me. I suddenly became really shy about a lot of things, which is so unlike me.
Before the journey, I had eaten beans, and this turned out to be the worst mistake of my life.
Of course, the worst mistake—what happened?
During the journey, I had several stomach issues, and things got worse because the road became bad and bumpy. With every bump we hit, I got closer to my breaking point. It was awful. I was sitting in the front seat, and the driver didn’t really care about his passengers. I tried talking to him, but he kept insisting that I was disturbing him.
Drivers’ Attitudes Are Typically an Issue with Road Trips
Yes, I agree. The driver didn’t seem to care, maybe because the trip was relatively short—about 2 to 3 hours.
That day, I prayed and swore I’d never make such a mistake again.
Sweat was pouring down my face, even though I was sitting in the front seat and facing the window. It felt like the air coming in was just bringing me closer to my breaking point. Shyness kicked in, and I was too embarrassed to engage the driver further. Everywhere was open, and there was nowhere I could easily relieve myself.
It became really difficult. I tried to maintain my composure, but things didn’t go my way throughout the journey.
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Then what happened?
Luckily for us, the driver finally stopped at a park in Awka to transload us. It was supposed to be a straight ride from to Uli in Anambra, but that day, the driver took a different approach. Normally, I would have argued with the driver since transloading passengers is a security concern while traveling, but this time, I just didn’t care.
It’s a big security concern. What happened next?
I rushed into the convenience room, and honestly, if they had charged me ₦500 to use it, I wouldn’t have minded—I couldn’t wait any longer.
LOL,
That day, I learned three lessons:
- Transloading and “quick stops” can be lifesavers—just be cautious and stay alert when this happens.
- Don’t be shy to ask for a restroom; there are likely open places or complexes where you can find one.
- Never eat beans or certain types of food before traveling.
If you’re interested in sharing your travel experiences, this is a good place to start. Share your experience