A few weeks ago, two friends of mine and I set out for California to begin an epic road trip down the west coast. After several days gallivanting around San Francisco, we picked up the rental car and realized: we have to drive this. Down the coast. For 900+ miles.

Thankfully, we were (mostly) prepared.

I’ve spent many days on the road at this point in my life, and there a few things I’ve found have increased my happiness level exponentially when I plan ahead and include them.

Besides the must-haves you need for a road trip to even happen – your license, for example – I’ve rounded up a list of 6 things you may forget when frantically counting out your pairs of underwear into a suitcase.

Relax – and check off the items below to turn your road trip into a rad trip. (Have you noticed I have the worst jokes? Just know that I’m aware of it and I’m doing nothing to change.)

1. A good playlist.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: you’re not going to survive this trip without some stellar jams.

Podcasts and audiobooks are also good ways to pass the time, but eventually, you’re going to want your own soundtrack to play along to your adventure; the kind that will bring you back to that place again whenever you play a certain song.

For our California trip, my friends and I made a collaborative Spotify playlist (California-themed, of course) weeks ahead of time. As a result, we were able to play the theme songs to our favorite California-based shows over and over down the coast while pretending we were in The O.C. and Big Little Lies, respectively.

Whether you’re traveling solo or with a group of friends, every road trip needs a good playlist.

2. A USB/aux cord for playing the above.

Your music setup probably depends on the kind of car you’re driving. If you’re renting a car, bring a USB cord (and a converter, if you’re an iPhone person) and an aux cord so you’re prepared for whatever setup the rental car allows.

USB cords are also clutch for charging phones in cars that have USB ports – important for navigation and all those sweet Instagram stories you’re posting. Although you could always kick it old school and bring a paper map.

3. A water bottle.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. As a perpetually thirsty/hangry person, I can’t emphasize this enough.

There are so many reasons to bring your own reusable water bottle versus buying a bottle of Dasani at every other gas station: it’s less expensive, it can hold more water, it’s better for the environment, you can decorate it with fun stickers (I guess you can do this with your Dasani bottle, but somehow that seems less fun.)

Just remember to empty your water bottle if you’ll be going through airport security – you can refill it at a water fountain later. Or risk, like me, doing a giant loop through the San Diego airport with your new security guard friend, emptying your water bottle, and then going through the security line again.

4. Car snacks.

On my most recent road trip, I rediscovered my love for peach rings. You know – the gummy candy shaped like rings and bursting with artificial peach flavoring, coated in a layer of sugar that gathers at the bottom of the bag.

Needless to say, I bought two bags at two different CVS’s and ate most of them by myself.

While I wholeheartedly endorse this sort of behavior, I also recommend stocking your car with healthy-ish snacks: granola bars, fruit, cheese, and the like. (Yes, I will eat straight cheese as a car snack.)

These foods will last longer than a bag of peach rings (at least around me), and will likely keep you full for longer, too. A hangry drive is fun for no one – keep your people well-fed.

5. Cash for tolls.

I know, no one carries cash anymore. Depending on where you’ll be driving, you may want to hit the ATM before you hit the road. When I moved from D.C. up to Boston, for example, I took out $100 in cash just for tolls (and thankfully had some left over, but still. Not that much.)

In California, on the other hand, I read online that most tolls on our drive would be electronic-only. Some rental car companies will rent out toll transponders (think EZ-Pass or some version of that – why isn’t every state the same when it comes to paying tolls? I don’t know.)

Anyways, renting a transponder may be a cheaper option than the company sending you the bill for all the tolls you hit on your trip, which will show up on your credit card weeks after the fact and probably involve some sort of fee.

Enterprise did not offer a transponder – thanks, guys – so we accepted their charge for tolls a few weeks after our California road trip. Basically, do your research ahead of time to figure out what the toll situation will be and be prepared.

6. A notebook/journal.

When I’m not driving, my favorite way to pass time on a road trip is by documenting it. I prefer to write down everything I experience on a journey in a (preferably light, for packing purposes) notebook, though you could also use a Word doc on a laptop for this.

If you rush through packing and forget to throw in a journal, feel free to jot down notes in a notes app on your phone – you can always transfer them to a notebook later.

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There are other things you should bring, of course – clothes, for example, are important – but these 6 items are the non-essentials that will make your road trip that much better.

Now, go forth and have an incredible road trip! And please, feel free to share your playlist with me.