Camping. You. Really?
Whenever I mention, I camp this is usually the reaction I get. It isn’t the frequency of which I get said reaction that bothers me as much as the complete look of bewilderment on people’s faces. Like they’ve just watched that YouTube video of the Indonesian toddler chain-smoking. They’ve seen evidence of it, but they just can’t seem to believe it.
To be fair, I am not what one would describe as patient. It isn’t that I have little or easily worn thin patience I am patience absentia. When I was born and the doc smacked my behind my cry wasn’t for that first precious breath of life but annoyance at how long the doc was taking to wrap up the whole birth thing. Seriously, get move on doc I’ve got a life to hurry through.
And at the campsite everything takes time.
Hungry? Get firewood. Build fire. Wait for fire to get hot enough to cook. Cook food. Eat food. Clean up food mess. Time for next meal.
What happens after you eat? Bathrooms are a 1/2 mile walk daily (2x daily if you have a high fiber diet).
Showers are also a half mile walk unless you shower in the camper and if you read about last year’s shower red croc fiasco you know now I almost always use the camper shower. It takes grace and patience to bathe in a hobbit sized shower. I do not have grace or patience. My children have heard more swear words due to the simple act of showering then if I had allowed them to watch an entire season of Sopranos.
Okay, so why do it? Perhaps, I camp for the same reason other people save an average of four years to visit the central part of one of the hottest and most humid places in North America and stand in hours-long lines for a one minute thrill on a roller coaster and eat a giant overpriced hot dog, the experience.
The problem with experiences – they take time and if you are the type who is always ready for tomorrow to be yesterday you can waste a lot of time and experiences. Here, in the middle of nowhere, the impatient I has no choice but to surrender because nature runs on its own clock.
Speaking of nature, she’s calling and I still have 1/2 half mile walk before I can answer. Gotta go.
Until next time happy camping…
Dylan learning the virtues of patience.
Me exercising my patience.
Boondock Adventures 
Very reminiscent of my idol Dave Barry’s style. Smart, wicked funny, sarcastic, love it! Proud of you. Don’t call me to go cramping; however, you can count on me to laugh at your experiences afterward, reading them from our new temperputic king sized bed & fresh white sheets.