Do You Like Camping?

My parents loved to camp, so I grew up camping.  Practically every vacation we took was of the camping nature.  They even enjoyed going for the weekend (or even one night) to the river or lake.  They loved it.  I hated it.

Camping was always a messy business, as far as I was concerned.  Sand, dirt, and other things seemed to be in places they weren’t supposed to be.  Cooking over an open flame or even on a camp stove held no appeal to me.  And cleanup…  Well, I would have been just as happy to throw all the nasty, blackened pots and pans away rather than try to scrape all the gunk off them.  

Needless to say, I was spoiled by all the modern conveniences we had available at home.  I saw no reason to leave them for this primitive activity.

So, what did I do?  I grew up and married a Boy Scout.  More precisely, an Eagle Scout.  His father had been an Eagle Scout as well.  They loved camping.  And then I proceeded to produce two sons who eagerly followed in their father’s and grandfather’s footsteps.  I was doomed!

Endeavoring to be a good wife and mother, I accompanied them on their camping trips, but I cannot say, in good conscience, that I embraced it.  I enjoyed the places we went and the things we saw and did.  I loved the travel.  But after a particularly difficult three-week journey into what I euphemistically call the “depths of Hell”, I swore off camping for good.  And I have not set foot in a tent since.  Nor do I plan to.  

I have lived my life very nicely ever since by sitting by my firepit in my backyard and gazing at the stars before retiring to my soft, comfy bed inside my nice comfy house.  Or walking through a forest, communing with nature, listening to the birds’ calls and catching fleeting glimpses of wildlife, then retiring to my hotel room.  Or walking along a beach at sunrise, seeing the first rays of dawn burst into view, bringing light to a new day, clean and fresh.  I do love nature.  And I love being in nature.  But I have sworn off camping…  Until now.

It all began when I mentioned to a friend that we should go to a dark sky event.  I love sitting out on dark nights and watching the stars.  It would be fun.  We could go early enough, I said, to watch the sunset (another of my ‘things’), play with our binoculars and telescope and try out different camera lenses and settings, then go home.  To which came the reply, “Or we could just stay.  We could camp!  It will be fun.”

Sure…

So, a group of friends and I are going camping.  I’m now in the process of begging, borrowing, and/or stealing (so to speak) the equipment I might need because I refuse to purchase things that I’ll never use again.  Because, I can guarantee you, this is a one-off.  No more camping!!!

If I survive this, I’ll let you know how it goes.  If you don’t hear from me soon, it may be because I have met Bigfoot.  I hear he resides in those parts…

Wish me luck!

Oh, did I mention that I am a MAGNET for mosquitoes?  And ticks?  And chiggars?  And any other creepy crawlies that can bite, sting, or otherwise irritate?

Yeah, it will be fun!