How Sunflower Seeds Helped Me During a Long Drive Through Arizona

Hello! I'm back from a much needed vacation! My family and I went to Las Vegas for a few days of relaxing by the pool and great food and entertainment. We opted to drive to Vegas because we all enjoy road trips.

I don't know what it was about this road trip, though, that left me exhausted! On the way there, everything was okay, we were all excited and ready to get to Vegas that I guess the ten hour drive didn't really bother us. However, the trip back was definitely an ordeal.

On the way back, my sister and I alternated driving (Yes, despite what Buzz says, I DO drive!). I don't know if you know this, but driving through Arizona is hella boring! On the way back, everyone is tired, and basically no longer excited that the trip is over, so the already long trip felt longer and my sister and I were having trouble staying awake; which is dangerous!

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We did pull over at one point to take a quick snooze, but that felt like it didn't help. Somewhere between seeing The Thing and passing by another trading post for gas, I remembered something my cousin told me about eating sunflower seeds while driving long distances. I bought a pack and as we hit the road, I began eating them. Suddenly, it did feel like I got a second wind! Did the sunflower seeds have some magical powers that helped wake me up?!

Apparently, this isn't a huge secret- people have been using sunflower seeds to help keep them awake and alert while driving long distances. Trying to focus on getting the seed out of the shell helps keep your brain focused and alert, I mean, it's not an actual science that's proven, but many people swear by this! I now call them survival seeds! Have you tried sunflower seeds while driving long distances? What other tricks do you have to stay awake while driving? Let me know!