For some people, “family camping†seems like a dream come true. Fresh air, getting away from stress, quality family time, making memories.
My parents were not those people. Sure, my family traveled, and we went on some amazing trips. But we only attempted camping once. It was a disaster. Filled with tears, burning my mouth on hot coffee in the dark, and 5-year-old me sleeping in our van with my dad because I could not stop squirming in the tent. Never again would my hotel-loving parents venture into the camping world.
Fast-forward 35 years and I now am a parent myself and camping has become an integral part of my family’s identity. We have saved up to purchase a used pop-up camper. We carefully have planned weeklong excursions to national parks and had countless spontaneous weekend trips to local state parks. Our kids have helped plan each trip while also learning researching, planning and mapping skills. Each trip is different, but each trip is a chance for our family to put our busy lives aside and relax.
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Of course, our camping adventures have not been without disasters. There was the first time we went out with our camper for an early March trip. Our plan to use the propane heater to get us through the chilly night was thwarted when, at 10 p.m., we realized we had forgotten to fill the propane tank and the residual gas had run out.
Or the time we raced to pack up the camper and get on the road before a storm rolled in. We succeeded in getting on the road before the rain, but a dip in the road revealed that, in our haste, we had not properly attached the camper to the hitch. As a result, we were dragging our camper by the emergency chains.
But for all these mishaps — which now are great stories — we have hundreds of amazing memories. There was the year we decided to experiment with every kind of s’more – Oreos or monster cookies instead of graham crackers, caramels or peanut butter cups instead of chocolate. We still talk about the terrible combinations my son devised.
There was the time my husband almost fell out of the boat while white-water rafting; but now we plan trips around where we can go rafting again. There was the time my son, Sam, fell in the Colorado mountain stream and truly learned just how cold snowmelt water is. Or, there was the time my daughter, Lucy, challenged herself to go higher on the mountain hike and was rewarded with incredible views.
The thing about camping is that it is not so much about how perfect your camper is or how far away the trip takes you. It’s about realizing that sitting by the campfire is more relaxing than watching TV. It’s about realizing a hot dog on the campfire taste better than a five-star meal. It’s about realizing whittling will consume a 10-year-old’s attention better than a video game.
So, here’s my challenge to you. Go outside. I did not go camping as a child and yet here I am constantly dreaming up my next camping trip. How did this change come about? I went outside. I rode my bike around the neighborhood. I went for a short nature stroll that inspired me to go on a longer hike. I tried tent camping and fell in love with the sound of cricket frogs singing me to sleep.
Camping is as elaborate or as simple as you want to make it. I assure you, no matter how or where you go, the memories and stories will follow.