The open road is unpredictable, captivating, and unlike any other mode of travel. It has an energy that makes a traveler feel rooted in the land and therefore less like an outsider. I experienced, recently, how exactly road travel provides a different and deeper understanding of a place, when I drove across the 8,511,965-kilometer country of Brazil.

I should probably mention that I am more familiar with South America than others may be, having been born in São Paulo and having lived there until the age of nine. Though it is useful, you don’t have to be Brazilian to understand the (abridged) Rules of the Road, à la Brazil.

1. Know where you’re going. But if you do get lost, get really lost.

When I was a child, my parents, brother, and I would often make the drive from São Paulo to Rio. It became routine for us. There was one momentous road trip, however, two Aprils ago, when I got lost: really, really lost. On that trip, I was not traveling with my parents—who knew the trajectory well—but with my two cousins, then aged seventeen and twenty-three.

We would start in sunny Rio, stop in Cruzeiro (a tiny little town in the countryside where my mother grew up), move on to Campos do Jordão (a city in the mountains popular among young people during the winter holidays), and finally make our way to the thriving, fogged-up city of São Paulo. The problem was that the highway system that connects all of these cities contains about eight million different roads. Somewhere between Cruzeiro and Campos, we made an incorrect turn (or several) and went in the wrong direction for two hours.

I still have no idea where we ended up. I do know, however, that those two hours were some of the best I have ever had on the road. The experience began with a sense of denial—no, we’re not lost, it’s just these signs are wrong—to frustration—why didn’t you listen to me when I told you to stop and ask that attendant for directions an hour ago?!—to eventual acceptance.

We accepted that we had gotten lost, and, in fact, decided to embrace it. We welcomed the opportunity to actually take notice of the people and the places around us as we passed. Those two hours helped me realize just how beautiful the Brazilian landscape is. Very few places in the world boast soaring mountain ranges, endless beaches, and crashing waterfalls. Mountain ranges and rivers are the most common roadside features between Rio and São Paulo. Paired with the image of favelas (Brazilian slums) and vulnerable young boys performing juggling acts at stoplights for change, you have yourself a unique landscape, capable of evoking both awe and distress. There is something far more valuable about getting the chance to see such beautiful and harsh realities so closely rather than experiencing them from the confines of a room overlooking the beach at the Copacabana Palace.

That is why, when getting lost, I also gained something: a greater feeling of being rooted in my surroundings, which one can only get via the open road.

2. Expect the unexpected, and proceed with caution.

Driving down an unfamiliar road or making a wrong turn can lead to a new discovery, sometimes monumental, but oftentimes minute. Once, when driving from Rio to Angra dos Reis (Bay of Kings), we discovered a small, secluded beach down a narrow and deserted path. I cannot remember how we found it, but I imagine that this sort of thing has happened to many the road tripper. Often this can be the highlight of a journey, transforming the individual from a mere bystander into an explorer.

Not always is a road discovery delightful, however. The road can sometimes be a setting of violence and disarray. I can say that, at least twice, I have had to make a detour because I was warned by the radio or through a phone call not to take the tunnel because there was an armed assault happening.

Violence in Brazil is nothing new. The chance of a Brazilian being murdered by a firearm is three to four times the global average. Brazilians are taught from a young age to always proceed with caution, particularly when on the streets, as they are a prominent setting for violence. But if you were to avoid driving through Brazil out of fear, you would be depriving yourself of an extraordinary trip.

Always recognize that the road is erratic and unpredictable, no matter where you are. My father, for example, lived in South America during the 80’s, and when traveling through Colombia, the road was also a site of violence and unrest. Armed guerilla insurgents stopped his bus and its riders were forced to remove all of their clothing and belongings. Thankfully, they came out safely.

The road is, by nature, a forward-moving entity, constantly changing and evolving. It’s a powerful force to be reckoned with, in which one must proceed both with caution and awe, without expectations.

3. Every road trip must have its accompanying soundtrack.

Music makes memories, and I cannot help but recall my various adventures on the roads of Brazil when I hear songs by Jack Johnson, Sonique, Tribalistas, Akon, Caetano Veloso, Pink Floyd, and Fergie. Yes, all of these artists are included on the radio playlists of Brazil.

It seems strange that a country with such a rich music history and tradition also buys into the American and European pop culture. If you turn on MTV Brazil, for example, you won’t only find Brazilian and major American artists, you will also find some less popular foreign artists—like Jamiroquai.

The point is, wherever you might decide to take on the road, be sure to listen to the radio—you will be surprised by what you discover. Music is sometimes the best way to get to know a culture, and music can help you form memories as you go along.

What I love most about road trips is that through them, you become a part of a constantly moving and winding thing, you feel like you’re nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Brazil and the South American continent as a whole are dynamic places, and I would encourage anyone who wants to see these places to do it via a road trip. Get really lost, expect the unexpected, proceed with discretion, and prepare for your trip with a damn good playlist. It’s the best way to truly see such a unique and beautiful continent.