Make It So

Enjoying the outdoors has never come naturally to me.  I was a very nearsighted, overweight, bookish child, and far preferred the company of Scooby Doo and a good book to riding my bike or taking a walk.  We also lived closer to the beach than to any mountain, and I didn't mind a bit of time in the sun & surf.  Moving to Colorado as a teen, we never even visited Pikes Peak - despite living about 30 minutes away.  I enjoyed looking at the outdoors, but never quite knew what to do with the soaring peaks & miles of pine trees. 

Before Matt and I were married, we took a trip to Alaska.  We rented a car and drove from Anchorage to Denali, camped for a night, then hiked into the park.  We stayed a few nights, then drove further south, camping along the way.  We had a 2 person tent, some cozy sleeping bags, and other miscellaneous backpacking gear.   He is very comfortable with all things outdoors, and other than a heart-skipping moment with a baby moose who stumbled into our camp site, the trip was fine.

When M was 2 we camped along the Oregon coast for a few nights.   We borrowed a slightly larger tent, cooked over the camp fire, and enjoyed days playing in the frigid surf.

We haven't camped since.

But.....after a few backyard sleeps with the old backpacking tent, and an especially memorable Father/Son camp out, I took the plunge and last night we bought a family tent.  Ohio has many camp sites within a reasonable distance, including the impressive Hocking Hills.

(image from city-data.com)

I know who I am.  Let's face it, I enjoy cable TV, hot showers, and air conditioning.  But I WANT to be someone who is comfortable camping.  I want to pop the tent in 15 minutes or less, know how to start a sizable campfire, whip up a hearty meal using only a frying pan and 3 ingredients, and hike for miles with children in tow.  I want to not mind a faceful of wood smoke and grubby hands at the end of the day.  I want to recognize (and stay far away from) poison oak, and be awake enough to appreciate the sunrise.  So I'm going to try.  I may end up sleeping in the car, but I'm going to try.