Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Camping Tales

I wrote this when we got back but due to my full-time job as a laundress I didn't get it posted right away. Go figure!

We're back and it's always so good to get home. Although we had a great trip, it's nice to sleep in my own homemade four poster bed! And remember those ten loads of laundry I did before we left? I did them over again today plus three more. So I'm all caught up until morning.

Oh I have so much to tell you about our trip. Every time I would start to smile and write in my notebook, Mike would roll his eyes.

It's no secret that I don't love camping. My idea of a fun vacation involves hotels, pools, beaches and shopping malls. The trip we took was Mike's idea and his plan. I thought we should stay home and do things around here.

When we got to our campground I was already a little irritated. I like to take showers. I was annoyed with all our stuff in a small space. I admit to wondering a few times why on earth I let him talk me into this.

While Mike was setting up, the rest of us were going on a walk and Grant was so excited he said, "Whatever you're doing, I'm in!". We found the showers and they were fine. The camper was really not any messier than our house.

As we were leaving, I realized that in a few years I will look back on these days as golden: all of us together crammed in a camper, the kids loving every minute of it, sitting around the fire with friends, no TV, computer or cell phone and little ones eating breakfast outside in their jammies that still have S'mores smeared on them from the night before.

I couldn't help but think of what I would have missed had I dug my heels in. There are so many things in life that I don't want to give up. I want my independence. I want it my way.

I know people who have let those things destroy their marriage like living in a certain state or house, insisting on having things they cannot afford, turning up their nose at the way their spouse was raised. And one of those people is me.

It might be a little like camping. We don't have any camping stuff. It was super classy for us to use our friends pop-up camper. We had a lot of nice campers pull in next to us. All of a sudden yours doesn't seem so great. I guess there's even envy in the camping world.

When we got to my Grandparents we stayed in a motorhome my Uncle's friend let us borrow. I told them not to worry about it since we could sleep in the pop-up. I must admit, the queen size bed in the back was a little more comfy and the air conditioning was nice. I'm not sure you can call that camping!














But all in all, I wouldn't change anything I have or don't have for the world.