There is a big difference between a car ride and a roadtrip. I don’t know if there’s a Swedish equivalent to the English word that is so emotive. Going on a roadtrip is more than just the trip itself. Between the lines, there are promises of making mix tapes with Springsteen's Born to Run or Slayer’s God hates us all (depending on who makes the mix), stopping by Gränna or Mariannelund and buying ice cream or candy, piss break in Skara or a Max-meal in Jönköping. Roadtripping isn’t just a way to travel, it is a way of life.

Jack Kerouac has written books about it, Bob Dylan has made songs about roadtripping and several filmmakers have used it in everything from college comedies to melancholic existentialist flicks. There is much to say and write about the concept. One thing is clear. There are five essential factors behind the roadtrip:

1. A vehicle.

2. A dynamic group of people traveling in the vehicle.

3. Sugar, nicotine and food.

4. Music.

5. Fighting over who should drive.

If have these five things, you have it all. Then, just sit back and roll away. Aim at the sun. Leave your past behind you. Away.

Bonus - Listen to the Red Hot Chili Peppers song Roadtrippin, read Jack Kerouac's book On the Road, see David Lynch's film The Straight Story, which is about a man who sits on a lawn mower and rolls over vast stretches of land to see his estranged brother and if you have not already done so, see Thelma and Louise.