As I neared home from my 2+ weeks of vacation road trip I had this idea to have a "vacation from my vacation" so to speak. My epic journey of driving was nearing an end, and I was in dire need of some true relaxation. The trip had not been as fun as I hoped it would be. I formulated the idea of taking this little camping trip as an afterthought... before I even got home. When I did get home I did what chores I needed to do, like laundry and lawn-mowing, and purposefully left half of my stuff in the car so I wouldn't have to repack it. This was not a well-planned camping trip. It was almost as if I were in a hurry. My food was poorly-planned, my beer ran out of ice, but you know what? I didn't care.
I love a good camping trip. It's fills me with solitude and the feeling of being completely off the grid. It's a time to reflect. It's a time to notice the little things around you--the smells, the sounds, the creatures. I'm not talking about camping in a campground with other campers (which is most people's definition of camping). You know the ones: each camper with the designated spot that they are renting for the night, and with kids and dogs running around everywhere and music blasting. That's not camping--that's just living like they normally do but with no walls. I'm talking about driving patiently and investigating each road in hopes that it leads to something promising until I finally find that spot--that special spot--that makes it all worthwhile. It's about being in a remote place in perfect weather with no clothes, no cares, and no rules. The only sounds are the wind, the occasional bird, and maybe the sound of an airplane in the distance every now and then. Taking walks wearing nothing but sandals and a smile--a smile that will not go away.
I took out my iPad at one point to do a little reading and found it to be so low on battery it was near death. Did I let that bother me? Nope, I'm camping, remember? That was just another way of driving the point home.
Last night one vehicle drove by. Today, one vehicle drove by. Somehow I ended up spraining my left thumb at one point. I think it was during a session of firewood gathering. I have numerous scrapes and scratches--again from firewood gathering. Do I care? No. I'm naked in the great outdoors. I'm camping. It's worth it.
The various bugs didn't really bother me either. Whether it was the miniature ants that were constantly exploring, the occasional biting insect that wanted to feed, or the just plain stupid winged ones that crash into me because I'm in their flight path. I don't care though. I'm naked in the great outdoors and I'm off the grid.
Here it is--7:00--and I continue to sit without regard to putting my clothes back on. I think it is a little warmer than yesterday, plus I have a much better fire than yesterday. The wind in the trees now has the relaxing pop & snap of the fire going well competing with it.
It doesn't get much better than this.
It doesn't get much better than this.
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