Despite the advances in technology, many people can still feel alone and isolated, especially when they they reflect on their individual habits. This is especially true when it comes to vacuuming, a very personalized, individualized chore.

Everyone has a particular way that they vacuum, whether it's in circles or diagonal, daily, weekly or when things start sticking to your feet.

But it's the little idiosyncrasies about vacuuming which set you apart or draw you together.

For example, I must clean out my vehicle if my family is getting ready to leave on vacation. At a minimum, the entire vehicle must be emptied of superfluous items such as the 16 coats, nine socks and 12 miniature race cars and then completely vacuumed.

Washing the outside of the vehicle is preferred but is limited to nice days prior to leaving on the trip and extra time when finished packing for seven people. Obviously, this happens two percent of the time.

In theory, the vehicle cleaning is completed so that you pull from the drive-way without three fast-food bags underfoot. It's so that there is a spot for the cooler and snacks which will be gone in approximately 34 miles. It's so you can discover what the actual color of the carpet is underneath the past month's accumulation.

I already knew this cleaning habit was a family trait passed down through my father's side, so I was surprised when I called a friend and interrupted her cleaning out her vehicle in preparation for a trip.

She too insisted that the vehicle be clean before venturing off with her family, which similarly includes several small children.

Despite the prerequisite that the vehicle be clean, we both marveled at the idea. Regardless of how spotless the vehicle was before we left, regardless of how many trash bags we placed throughout the vehicle, regardless of how many times we avoided eating in the vehicle, it is always a thorough pit when we returned home. There is always discarded clothing, dropped French fries, melted crayons. Midway through the trip, no one could tell an attempt was even made to tidy up inside the vehicle, much less a complete overhaul including scraping dried pickles from the seat belt straps and prying candy wrappers stuffed inside the cupholders. (Most adults think I don't make them climb to the third-seat in my van because it may hurt their back. Rather, I just don't know if they'll come unstuck from the seat or the sides when it's time to unload.)

So, I like to return home from family road trips with enough time in the day to at least unload all the suitcases and the packages. If it's still light out and I'm still motivated, I might even vacuum out the vehicle, erasing all notice of the past trip. But that motivation is usually lacking and the cleaning is put off for a little while - until the next road trip.

Vacuuming seems to have a special hold on people. While watching another friend vacuum, I noticed she did what I do more often than I care to remember: Running over something on the carpet three, four, 12 times rather than just bending over to pick the offending item up. If the vacuum just isn't doing its job, then you have three options. First, pick up the item and throw it away. Way too simple.

Second, pick up the item and throw it in front of the vacuum to be attempted at being sucked up once more. I do this more times that I should admit.

Third, leave the item. Maybe the next time you vacuum, the item in question will decide it's ready to leave its place in the carpet.

Of course, most of this debate could be avoided if you purchase one of those automated vacuuming systems, which uses infrared lighting to guide itself around the room and the furniture. You do your thing while the automatic vacuum does its thing. And only later will you find out if the vacuum sucked up that little piece of string in the corner or just left it for later - for you to pick up.

Ronda Graff actually cleaned out her vehicle recently without a road trip on the horizon. She was embarrassed after some friends received a ride in her van and left with half a kid's meal stuck to their pants.