Camping
“Now I see the secret to making the best person, it is to grow in the open air and eat and sleep with the Earth.” – Walt Whitman
I was born into a family of campers. My grandparents camped when they were raising a family. I camped with my parents as a kid. Now I take my own kids camping, and I’m not embarrassed to say, “I love it.” Many of my friends despise it. Their idea of a vacation is lounging poolside, working on a tan with a cocktail in their hand. Yes, that’s fun too, but I can’t do that every time I take a vacation. I would be bored. I’ve often joked with friends about how vacations are supposed to be relaxing. Then I tell them all about my next camping trip and how relaxing it’s going to be. Right after I take the canoes off the car, unpack the car, put up the tent, inflate the air mattress, unroll the sleeping bags, put up the canopy over the picnic table, set up the camp stove, get water, buy firewood, buy ice and organize. I swear it’s relaxing!
I think I hear the loons now…wait those are my kids.