A Story About Camping

We went camping last weekend. And I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal to most but I grew up with a cottage so camping was something I never did. Well I wouldn’t say never, there were a few instances with the other kids in the village when we’d camp in someone’s backyard. And it was horrible. I loved having our own parent-free space and getting to stay up late with my friends, but I didn’t like having a rock in my back, going to sleep cold, and waking up boiling. But the freedom…

A few years ago I found myself camping for another friend’s bachelorette party and it was a lot better than I remembered. Attention was paid to where the tent was set up – making sure it was on a nice, flat, rock-free patch of dirt. And foam pads! Where were those when I was a kid?! There were nature walks, hours on the beach, and laughter. Laughter! Giggles don’t come around in adulthood nearly as much as they did when I was younger. Hmmm… There might be something to this camping stuff…

Darren and I talked a lot about camping during our winter yurting trip. How relaxing it could be. How fun it could be. So we dared. And we kept it simple. I didn’t want to make a big investment of time, energy, and money into something that was really going to turn into a one hit wonder. We borrowed a tent, packed our air mattress, and roasted hot dogs over the fire. We didn’t have time for nature trails but we spent the evening huddled around the fire and the following morning relaxing on the beach.

As for the sleeping I was cold. I think it was the air mattress and the fact that it went down to 6C {43F} that night. Maybe if we were smarter we would have planned our first camping trip for a not-so-cool night. Or maybe it will make future warmer nights a lot more comfortable.