Sunscreen: Check; Bug Spray: Check; Boa: Check?

I’m a type-A person. I just love making lists, and love checking things off those lists even more. For a trip like driving Route 66 that proclivity becomes more than just a personality trait and is an absolute necessity! I feel like a band that’s going out on its first tour, except we’re not trying to get from point a to point b as quickly as possible and we don’t have to worry about the van breaking down.

There are lots of little details to remember, though, and the inside of my head is already like a Pachinko machine so over the last few days I’ve been adding things to my “Packing List”. There’s the normal stuff:

• Sun Screen
• Bug Spray
• Toiletries
• Swimsuit
• Towel

Because we’re documenting this adventure publicly, we’ve also got to remember these:

• Microphone
• Laptops (plural)
• Video camera
• DSLR
• Point & Shoot
• Tripods
• Extra batteries
• Chargers
• Backup terabyte drive

Then there are sponsors. Without them this trip wouldn’t be possible, so on that list we’ve got McDonald’s certificates, a case of Combos, a TRX and custom workout from Victoria Gray so we can work off McDonald’s and Combos, and swag galore from Chevy that we’ll be passing out at our various stops.

Finally, there’s my personal list of must-haves. With long hair in a convertible I have to have bandanas and a hat with a strap – I don’t care what they show in the movies, that big floppy topper will fly off as soon as we get above jogging speed. I also need a fanny pack. Fashion shmashion, those things are useful. And, of course, a boa.

A boa? Yep. It’s a “thing” my good friend Cara Carriveau and I have (along with the fanny packs). If we see boas we fling them around our necks, find the nearest camera, and start hamming it up. It’s a reminder of the days of dress up and permission to be silly. We metaphorically throw our cares to the wind and act like kids again.

Like many people, road trips are a reminder of my childhood, and for millions this particular road represents big dreams and bigger possibilities. It signifies freedom and adventure and creates an excitement that feels like it did when you were a kid and couldn’t sleep the night before that big trip to Disneyland. Just the idea of those dyed-red feathers streaming behind me with the top down and my big floppy hat flapping in the wind makes me smile, makes me feel silly, makes me feel a bit giddy. It makes me feel like a kid again.

So yes, the last item on my long list of must-have items for this all-American road trip?

• Boa