Stuck in Traffic

So today's post isn't going to be so lifestyle related as it will be informative, but I've got some information and youz better listen, yeah?!

Yesterday, I was in the unfortunate situation, that we will all find ourselves in at one point or another, where I was stuck in traffic. 

Sometimes, it's not so bad; it's the kind of traffic that moves snail-speed, but at least you know you're getting somewhere. This was not that kind of traffic jam. I was stuck standstill. Sadly, there had been an incident involving two lorries and a car. My heart goes out to everyone who was involved and I hope everyone was ok. The accident happened around 10:30am, and the motorway didn't reopen until 12 hours later. 

Now, I'm writing this post to make sure that you don't do what I did. 

I left the house at around 9am, I hadn't eaten or drunk anything all morning and I left the house with basically my purse and phone. I simply assumed I would have a nice quick journey from Brighton to Kent with no delays. However where I got stuck was literally 10 minutes from my home, so you can essentially get stuck anywhere.

Here is my handy dandy list of what you should take on a long car journey. By long, I mean anywhere that's thirty minutes or more away from your home, or if you're driving anywhere you're unsure of. 

• Always take food and water. Water is most important. A great idea is to freeze a bottle overnight before you go, then you will have ice cold water all day, especially in the upcoming summer months. Pack a chocolate bar, some sweets, crisps; essentially any snacks that will give you a boost of energy. 
• Make sure there's a blanket and pillow in the boot of your car. If you get stuck somewhere overnight, you won't be able to necessarily keep the engine running to heat the car.
• Take an extra can of petrol. Just in case you're stuck with the engine on. See above bullet point. Also make sure the car is full before you leave.
• Something to *ahem* go in. It's all well and good if you're stuck by a load of bushes, but on some motorways there is literally nowhere to hide. This includes toilet paper and hand sanitiser. 
• A satnav (or a map, if you're old school), in case you get diverted. 
• A mini first aid kit, containing plasters, common illness medicines and sun lotion. 

In short, assume that when you go on a long journey, you may have to live on that long journey for a while. It's better to be safe than sorry; believe me I found that out the hard way when I was sitting for two hours with no water. 

I was very lucky in that the police came to the rescue and opened a road just off the motorway, so we could get off. This was only 100 yards or so behind me, so I escaped relatively quickly. 

It was still very irresponsible to not be more prepared, so learn from my mistakes ya wee bunny rabbits. Sitting in a car for that long has clearly warped my brain a little. Apologies.