Camping

Just a bit of a head's up to everyone- my blogging will be irregular this week.  I am on vacation and have activities planned (I won't say specifically when or where, so all you house thieves out there can't plan your break and enters. :)

We are taking the littles camping this week and I am soooo looking forward to it.

Now, part of that is simply because I work for a living and I am looking forward to not working for an entire week.  That in itself is glorious.  If only that happened and nothing else- no camping, no day trips, no nothing, that would be enough.  Just the idea of not having to get up and be somewhere, to lose myself in the daydream that this someday could be my life, it fills me with hope and rejuvenates my soul.

Sawyer got pre-occupied leaving the tent

Plus, I get to spend time with my family, Geoff and the kids.  I understand the sacrifice that Geoff is making. He has his new comic shop and they are trying to do all these renovations and get it ready.  It will be hard for him to be away from that.  I know that he will probably skip out on us a day or two, to go and play with his friends.  I understand.  I don't like it, but I understand.  See, I need this vacation- I need it.  He doesn't.  He has been home for years at this point (with a couple of breaks in between).  I know being home isn't a vacation, but it also isn't full time (and sometimes more than full time) work, the pressure is a bit less and the freedom is a bit more.  So, I appreciate that he is trying to understand how much I need this break and he is trying to work with that and his own wants and needs as much as he can.

camping breakfast is the best

Thirdly, we are going camping.  I love camping.  I love the smell of camp fires and of pine trees.  I like hearing the cicada bugs and hunting for fireflies at night.  I like cooking over a fire, living out of coolers and watching the stars at night.

We haven't been camping as much as a family since Sawyer was born.  And this time, we are doing it a bit different.  We are actually borrowing a trailer from a family member and using that, instead of roughing it and tent camping.

While I think it is going to be great, I am a little disappointed.  


I like wilderness camping.  When I was pregnant with Sebastian, I would daydream about taking my son or daughter wilderness camping with me.  I thought that if I did it from the time they were little, they would grow with the appreciation of nature and learn the skills they needed naturally and develop this everlasting reverence for the interaction we have with the earth.  I had grand plans.

Daddy and Bastian, by the fire

Then reality set in.  Sebastian was born with his issues and camping and portaging and canoeing took a back seat.  Geoff really, REALLY isn't into that kind of camping experience, so it got back burnered.  Sure, we took Sebastian tent camping a couple of times, and he always seemed to love it.  It is a cheap(er) family vacation, and can be lots of fun too.  But, as always, life gets in the way, and things get shuffled to the side and then get forgotten.

happy camping boy

Then Sawyer came along.  I started thinking about that wilderness camping again.  But by now, it's been years- YEARS- since I have camped like that.  Since college and that is creeping up on 20 years ago.  Crazy, I know.  But I think I might want to give it a try someday.  I think it would be amazing, me and her, under the stars, her learning, me re-learning everything together.

But for now, we will start here.  A trailer with a microwave.  Ipod hook up.  Indoor kitchen with cupboards nicer than my own kitchen at home.  We will see how it goes and then take it from there.

Anyway, enjoy your week, and I will touch base as soon as I can...

Rosie N. Grey
The N stands for "nature loving, tree hugger".