I do this a lot. I get an idea I want to do, can do, or should do something and before I realize I actually don’t want to do it, can’t do it, or definitely shouldn’t do it, I find myself smack dab in the middle of it with no choice but to see it through.

So, here I am with a brand new pop up camper that’s never been slept in and only been set up once for a practice run during which we broke the awning. What? I said it was practice. Never one to be deterred by obstacles of inexperience we have now begun our 14-day family camping adventure with a 900-mile trek to Northern Virginia, Shenandoah Valley area.

This all started innocent enough with my husband and I wanting our boys to experience the national parks while they were old enough to keep the memories with them but young enough to grow up with a passion for protecting them. Most importantly we know while the days are long the years are short and family vacations are for going on adventures, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and making memories.

So, fingers crossed as we head into a wilderness of scarce Starbucks sightings, spotty wifi, no TV (thank God the Game of Thrones season is over), and learn how to talk to each in more than 140 characters.

Gotta go I have 900 miles to Google; how to avoid a bear attack, what to cook on a campfire (assuming there isn’t delivery at the campsite), what poison oak, ivy, and ticks look like, types of banjo music to avoid, and possibly cost of return flights to Tampa.

Until next time happy camping…