The Best California Road Trip For Every Enneagram Type

If you haven’t taken an Enneagram personality test during California’s shelter-in-place orders, I’m not quite sure how you’ve been filling your time (but I’d love to know your secret). I, on the other hand, have been taking every personality, Disney, and TV series quiz I can find, and—like many other millennials—I have become enamored with the nine Enneagram types. 

For those who are less familiar with this personality test, it divides individuals into nine archetypes with the goal of making everyone more self-aware. Unlike some other methods, the Enneagram of Personality breaks down both the positive and the negative traits associated with each type, so you can better understand why you act or react to situations the way you do. If you don’t know your Enneagram type, check out Oakland-based Truity’s Enneagram test.

Since the Enneagram test is designed to uncover your personality traits, it can be used to improve various aspects of your life—but our favorite is vacation planning. While now isn’t the best time to travel, it is a good time for future planning, and with so many California road trips on the docket, your Enneagram test results are the perfect place to start. 

The Ideal California Road Trip for Your Enneagram Type

Enneagram Type 1: The Perfectionist

Road Trip: Napa to Carmel Valley

Type Ones are principled, rational, idealistic, and self-controlled with high internal standards, an intense ability to concentrate, and a deep appreciation for ethics. Perfectionists appreciate curated, organized, and polite interactions, favoring classics over trends. 

This makes a road trip from Napa to Carmel Valley an ideal choice, thanks to the elegant amenities and dependable, high-quality attractions. Spend a day exploring Napa before hitting the road and stopping at San Jose’s Santana Row. Then, take a slight detour to Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea before settling into a luxurious resort in Carmel Valley. 

Enneagram Type 2: The Helper

Road Trip: Oakland to Los Angeles

Twos are known to be caring, generous, nurturing, patient, and people-pleasing, making them great caregivers, volunteers, and activists. Since they are empathetic and always looking for ways to help others, voluntourism is one of the primary ways Type Twos like to travel. 

People in this personality group appreciate genuine connections, so they would do well joining a volunteer organization or bringing people together to give back to the community. Indeed, helpers are adept at finding communities in need and volunteering in any capacity they can, so they would enjoy driving from Oakland to Los Angeles and stopping along the way to help underhoused populations or participate in beach clean-ups.

Enneagram Type 3: The Achiever

Road Trip: San Francisco to South Lake Tahoe

Achievers are typified as being pragmatic, charismatic, success-oriented, driven, personable, and adaptable. Recognition and status are important to them, oftentimes making relaxation less of a priority. Because these individuals are so ambitious, it is not uncommon for them to be workaholics who plan every second of vacations—sometimes even setting deliverables for themselves rather than using the time away to unwind. 

A free-form vacation that forces them to be present and removes the temptation to work is incredibly valuable for Type Threes, so a road trip from the bustling city of San Francisco to the adventurous South Lake Tahoe can provide a nice respite. From stand-up paddleboarding to rock climbing, there’s plenty to do for the moments where you feel like planning, but there is also the opportunity to lounge by the lake and take a hike in order to truly relax.

Enneagram Type 4: The Individualist

Road Trip: Pacific Coast Highway

Individualists tend to be sensitive, withdrawn, expressive, creative, romantic, dramatic, and self-absorbed—making them independent and good solo travelers. A Pacific Coast Highway road trip is a California classic, and while the road is simple, the adventures are endless. 

Whether it’s surfing and taking photographs or hiking and painting that call to you, there are unlimited ways to express yourself and do exactly what you want, when you want. In addition, the small towns nestled along Highway 1 are full of art galleries and quirky attractions that align with your creative tendencies.

Enneagram Type 5: The Investigator

Road Trip: Mendocino to Yosemite Valley

Type Fives are defined as innovative, intense, isolated, perceptive, and secretive individuals. They are very independent and curious, known for being experts in the subjects that catch their attention. Like Individualists, Investigators are open to traveling alone, but they are more likely to discover somewhere new.

Investigators often like to work on their own, making less populated regions more comfortable for them than big cities. Camping in Mendocino is a perfect start for their adventures, especially when followed by a long drive and unhindered explorations in Yosemite Valley. 

Enneagram Type 6: The Loyalist

Road Trip: Palm Springs to San Diego

Loyalists are described as anxious, committed, engaging, responsible, security-oriented, and even suspicious. They crave security and tend to be more cautious, so visiting well-known and -traveled destinations with a close group of friends would make them feel most safe. 

Driving from Palm Springs to San Diego is an ideal road trip for Type Sixes because they would visit familiar places. Both spots are populated with tourists and large-enough crowds to make Loyalists feel secure, but not so densely packed that they induce anxiety. 

Enneagram Type 7: The Enthusiast

Road Trip: Malibu to San Luis Obispo

Enthusiasts tend to be busy, distractible, fun, scattered, spontaneous, and versatile people, so they likely have large groups of friends and an optimistic outlook on life. They have so many interests and even more energy, making short road trips with lots of stops ideal. 

Because they like options and the ability to do whatever they want, an open itinerary is a great idea. Spend a few days driving from Malibu to San Luis Obispo, stopping to surf, rock climb, tan, and explore the interesting towns along the way.

Enneagram Type 8: The Challenger

Road Trip: Yosemite Valley to Death Valley

Type Eights have self-confident, decisive, confrontational, powerful, dominating, and willful personalities, often making them daredevils. They are always down to try something new, but they are incredibly passionate and stubborn. They also desire to control their surroundings.

Taking a road trip from Yosemite Valley to Death Valley can feed their sense of adventure, but it’s a good idea to let them take the lead on activities. Being close to nature is a gentle reminder that there are some things even their strong personalities can’t control, while the opportunity to pave their own way allows them to feel at ease.

Enneagram Type 9: The Peacemaker

Road Trip: Sonoma to Timber Cove

Peacemakers often have the most easy-going personalities and are modest, receptive, reassuring, agreeable, and sometimes considered complacent. Type Nines are those who go with the flow and are able to have a good time wherever they end up. They’re calm, mellow, and put others at ease because Peacemakers delight in helping others get along. Nines are good communicators and are experts in patience, but they tend to dislike change. 

While any road trip can make Peacemakers feel happy, the serenity of a California coastal drive best represents their laid-back nature. Travel from Sonoma to Timber Cove, taking in all of the beautiful scenery along the way to make the most of your vacation. Then, relax and listen to the sounds of the waves as they lap the shore; enjoy the sea mist in the mornings as you sip a cup of coffee on the balcony; and bask in the simplicity of a slow-paced life. 

Have you discovered your Enneagram? Let us know what Enneagram Type you are in the comments below.