Darkness fell; leaving me huddled into a small ball inside my sleeping bag, armed with my trusty flashlight and a week’s supply of batteries. I was eight years old and away at Girl Scout camp, located deep in a mountain forest, for the first time. While I had never heard of an ax murderer attacking anyone in the camp, I was not taking any chances. I was prepared to fend off any would be attackers with my flashlight and a stick I kept hidden under my cot. Yes, I had an overactive imagination. I did need fewer batteries as the years went by, but I am not a fan of camping to this day. It’s probably the result of watching too many horror movies with masked chain saw wielding maniacs when I was a teen.
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| My daughter’s ideal vacation |
“Don’t expect me to camp,” I informed my husband when we got married. “If it doesn’t have a real bed, I don’t need to be there.” “Don’t worry,” he assured me, “I don’t want to camp.” Then, along came our daughter. “I want to go camping!” she declared at age six. “You have to sleep on the ground!” I said. “Rocks poke you in the back. It’s cold.” This litany of complaints managed to dissuade her for a few years. By age twelve she was persistent, “Can I camp in a tent in the backyard?” Her first camping trip, in a friend’s backyard, lasted until around 3 AM. The kids decided they were cold and tired. The warmth of the house beckoned them inside. I thought this would cure her camping craving. Instead, it made it worse. The tent moved to our backyard for a few nights and eventually to the woods. Ax Murderers were no threat to my daughter!
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| My Ideal Vacation |
As the years progressed, she’s become adept at sleeping outdoors or in uncomfortable places. She’s ready for adventure, caving, camping and exploring the great outdoors anytime she has a chance, possibly because she knows her parents won’t try to tag along. I’m still adamant about being indoors. Although I have seen a beautiful camping area on St. John’s in the Virgin Islands. Maybe I’m ready for the outdoor fun after all!
Here I am a Grandma and never camped but really was you always were, never wanting to. I go along with your ideas about needing the bed and warmth of the indoors. It’s for some people, just not for me.
I love camping and grew up doing it in a tent. Now that our extended family has a number of large campers, something I always wanted to try as I kid, I don’t like them. I’m an oddball 🙂
Your post made me laugh. I’m scared to death of camping! I swear that an axe murderer our mountain lion will get me.
WeLOVE camping! Cooking in the wild is a blast too!
i like camping in cabins. with showers. beds are nice too. but no ground for me!
LOL – I’ve been camping once. I *may* go again if there is an RV involved, but tents are out of my future agenda of camping. 🙂
I used to love camping as a child but now it kind of scares me. For me I want to go camping where there is a cabin with a door that locks and a shower.
i have never had the desire to go camping
I’m not much of a camper either. I love that your daughter enjoys it though and that picture is priceless!
HAHA.. I’m NOT a camper at all either; We went camping in Garmisch Germany with a Toddler one year over a 4th of july weekend and it rained and poured and just was misserable;t eh tent was a mess with mud and water and the thunder storms… NEVER EVER…. I’m a cruise kind of gal myselfe…lol
lol..I should of put that in my vows if it doesn’t have a real bed I don’t need to be there..I love it! both my boys and my husband wants to camping. They are boys and what do they know or want of the luxury of soaking in a bath. Having real covers. I don’t like bugs..which is funny because that is how I got my boyfriend at the time to pretend to like bugs he was a biologist now a computer geek and now he is my husband so I can be truthful.
I don’t like to camp either. I spent about 2 years living the Polly Pioneer life style and it was like camping every day and I’m over it. Enjoyed your post.
I LOVE camping! But I think a lot of that is because my parents never took me camping as a kid. Now it’s kinda my own thing.
I’m not a fan of tent camping – but may buy a CAMPER
My hubby is very outdoorsy, I’m not so much. . . we have compromised to go camping using a Camper! LOL
I enjoyed camping when I was young, but now no way!
Ha, ha, ha… Hubby and I JUST had a convo that YOU WILL NEVER find me camping, LOL… love your post