Getting ready for your first driving adventure is very exciting, and very intimidating. A basic overview for how to prepare for your first road trip will give you a nice checklist of things to consider before you go, making you feel safer and more prepared before you take off.

Make sure you have a small box of safety supplies in case of any emergencies. This should include a first aid kit, flashlight, important phone numbers, water, some non perishable food, and maybe an extra battery for your cell phone.

Unless you're fairly mechanical, have your car looked over before you go. Let them know you'll be putting a lot of miles on the vehicle soon and have them check your fluids, your tires, and your spare tire for you. This can save you a lot of headaches later.

Consider signing up for roadside assistance, possibly with your current insurance carrier. If you get a flat tire or your car breaks down they'll come out to where you are and give you a tow. The fee you pay for this service will be much less than what you're likely to pay for a tow, especially if you're stranded out in a rural area.

Make sure you have plenty of music. The stuff you listen to on a regular basis will get old fairly quickly, so bring lots of new things, too. To mix things up I also like to bring some CDs with stand up comedy, or maybe a book on tape.

Getting lost can be a fun way to find new things (if you want to look on the positive side) but so can finding new things on the maps on your GPS. A good system will make finding where you want to go easier--even when you don't know exactly where that is. For instance, if you're low on gas, you can just put in "gas station", or "hospital", or other important locations you'll need to get to quickly. Say while you're on your trip you want to avoid highways? You can put that in as well. A good system can come in very handy and take the frustration out of navigating unfamiliar areas.

With all this in check you should be ready to go, prepared for your first road trip.