I actually did this exact epic schlep more than once in the last year. With all the stress of packing, saying goodbye to friends and neighbors, all I really wanted was a spacious, quiet and comfortable cocoon to shepherd my family from Detroit to Los Angeles. Add in a transcontinental relocation that involves serious downsizing, transporting multiple senior pets and so on, and you have a recipe for pressure and tension.
Even more so when it's not a small move, but a major one after a long-term house sale. After logging 2,300-plus miles over six days of driving to permanently relocate my family across the country, I'm excited to say that CNET remains in a happy long-term relationship with our 2022 Kia Carnival. Not to put too fine a point on it, that same notion applies when establishing connections with new vehicles, too. Long-distance travel is a make-or-break forge for new relationships. You can tell a lot about someone from the way they travel, and even more so, you can tell a lot about interpersonal compatibility.
I'm talking serious travel with a bit of challenge or potential hardship baked in. And I'm not talking about a romantic weekend at a nearby bed and breakfast. I tell friends that they should never get serious about a new relationship unless they've traveled together.