Sometimes it feels like a set of car keys can open an entire world. And while that didn't quite happen for metro Phoenix writer and storyteller Morgan Kubasko, one particularly memorable — and long — road trip came close.
MORGAN KUBASKO: The golden rule of improv is “yes, and?” and so was my golden rule for the summer of 2023.
That summer felt like a true summer. I had finished my sophomore year of college, moved off campus with a part-time job, and a handful of my out-of-state college friends were staying in Arizona for the break.
My friend Alex and I spent nearly every weekend together. We soaked in the sun, window shopped at the mall and took a number of impromptu road trips.
As any other Arizona native can attest to, the optimal summer plan is avoiding the 115 degree weather. Logically, Flagstaff or Prescott would be the perfect destination for a day trip outside of Tempe, but we thought, “Why not think bigger?”
Alex and I shared a love of the beach and decided that the roughly 12-hour drive to San Diego and back was something we could accomplish in a day.
Our first trek further west began at 5 a.m. at the end of May. Alex’s apartment was in downtown Phoenix, so we figured I’d spend the night there — as if being 20 minutes closer was going to make the trip feel any shorter.
We fueled up on Red Bull and gas station snacks, blared a chaotic playlist of songs and yapped each other’s ears off while we drove.
As Alex and a handful of my friends can attest, vulnerability is not my strong suit. While I am a lover of intellectual conversations and opinionated debates, being open about myself is something different. But there is something special about a road trip conversation.
The open road provides a fluid space where small chat blossoms into deeper dialogues. There are only so many songs you can sing along to before the lack conversation becomes apparent.
We started by discussing work, love lives, nights out — and as the cacti turned into palm trees, we dove into career goals, hardships and everything in between.
Those conversations followed us out of Alex’s old white Jeep and onto the beach and into restaurants and shops, and when the time came to head back to the desert, we were closer friends who didn’t want the trip to end.
If you thought doing a day trip to San Diego was already ambitious, we decided watching fireworks at Disneyland would be the perfect end cap to the day. Despite the fact we already had a long drive back, we switched directions, traveled farther up the coast and sat in Downtown Disney while a pattern of flashes lit up the night sky.
The drive back home was exactly what you’d expect. A little delirium mixed with a growing desire to be in bed. But even while we fought against our heavy eyelids and took turns sleeping, we still managed to maintain moments of banter.
Those times of connection were what made that summer feel like a true summer. Spur-of-the moment adventures and saying “yes” to the little things created a special magic that radiated beyond car doors.
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At KJZZ's The Show, we love bringing you conversations about life in the Valley and beyond. Now we want to know what's happening in your head. -
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