The Drive-In

Up until the summer of 2011, I had never been to the local drive-in. I was fairly antisocial in high school. I moved to Louisiana for college. I was just too busy with life once I returned to Utah (after Hurricane Katrina in 2005). I guess it's not surprising that my parents never took me to the drive-in when I was younger; it's not really their "thing." Needless to say, I'm happy that I was finally able to experience the drive-in.

The excitement builds even as you stop for snacks at a nearby store; you can hear various patrons talking about the drive-in while they select their snacks and drinks. Cars line up to pay for their tickets; the lines are quite long, usually. Smaller cars tend to park closer to the screen, while bigger cars (and trucks like our Tundra) park towards the back. Bringing the truck just makes the entire experience so much better; we throw our air mattress in the truck bed and have a cozy spot to enjoy the films.

Concessions are cheaper than your average movie theater, which is nice. We brought everything except for a bag of popcorn; we bought that at the drive-in. I mean, you just can't see a movie without popcorn, right?

I love how "eventful" the drive-in can be. Families set up little camps; they eat dinner and let their children run and play afterwards. Everyone waits for the sun to set, anticipating the moment the movie screens come to life. Since each screen is a double-feature, most of the cars will remain in the lot until almost 2:00 a.m.

At first, I was afraid that I'd be too distracted by all of the activity, that I would miss the movies and not enjoy the experience quite as much. I was a little surprised, because I wound up enjoying the drive-in more than any other theater I've been to. The drive-in is an experience that I'll cherish above other movie viewings, simply because of the environment. I'll never forget the warm summer breeze, the giggling children in the next car, the distant fireworks in the night sky, or holding my girlfriend close to me as we lay under a blanket of stars.

My kids are definitely going to experience a drive-in. Everyone should, really.