1. The "Greg Heffley" Banner: The book opens with the familiar Greg Heffley banner, featuring Greg's goofy grin and a brief blurb introducing the book.
2. "The Road Trip": The actual "chapter one" is titled "The Road Trip." This sets the stage immediately for the central theme of the book.
3. "The Best Part": The chapter starts with a scene of Greg, his brother Rodrick, and his little brother Manny crammed in the back seat of the car. Their dad is driving them to a vacation in Florida.
4. A "Normal" Start: This initial scene is quite funny, as Greg describes the packed car and the tension of the trip. We also get a hint that Greg's perspective is not always reliable, as he describes the back of the car as "the best part."
5. "The Worst Part": The very next scene cuts to the viewpoint of Greg's mom, who is clearly NOT having the best time. We see the perspective of the parents, who are stressed by the long journey. This sets up the core conflict - the clash between Greg's expectations for a "fun" trip and the reality of a long, tiring car journey.
So, the beginning of "Long Haul" sets the scene for a classic "Wimpy Kid" story: a humorous and relatable take on family dynamics, road trip challenges, and Greg's own unique perspective on the world.