5. it's nice to just get outta town sometimes.
4. it's always an adventure to scout out a great spot.
3. i love the smell and the sight of a good campfire, and also cooking things over it.
2. the beautiful morning light and crisp, fresh air when you wake up the next morning.
1. the wonderful sense of being carefree--no make-up, no alarm clock, who cares what you're wearing? the only thing i pack in the way of toiletries is deodorant (because no matter what i'm doing, i never enjoy being stinky)and a toothbrush (with toothpaste. because if you don't do this, you suffer from a gross tasting mouth, and the people around you suffer from your gross smelling breath).
we went up american fork canyon, which boasts of some very spectacular sites (and also means that my head was out the window the entire time there and back breathing deeply, and i STILL got car sick. i blame my gender--the guys were just fine). we found a sah-weet spot, set up our tent, and got the fire going to roast some dogs and starburst.
yeah, i said starburst. don't knock this till you try it--just stick an unwrapped starburst on some sort of roasting device, and let it get all toasty, to the point of bubbling. then--eat it (although perhaps not right away. molten candy does have a tendency to burn the dickens out of your mouth). crispy on the outside, ooey-gooey good on the inside. i will say that starbursts' behavior under extreme heat didn't do a whole lot to dissuade me from my theory that they're actually made out of plastic, though. then again, after having downed two hot dogs, cookies, and chips, i'm not what you would call a "health-conscious eater."
some of my thoughts about camping: first of all, this trip highlighted the importance of wisely choosing your camping buddies. here are some rough requirements that i've drafted in my head so far--
1. pick people who aren't "activity oriented." camping is about chilling, not "so...what do we do now?"
2. pick people who know how to just be silly. camping generally includes at least 4 fart jokes, and truth or dare where you run up into the forest in the dark, dance around, and shout "I'M BEAR FOOD!" if you have someone who isn't willing to set aside maturity for at least one night, these camping elements are ruined.
3. PICK PEOPLE WHO DON'T SNORE.
going along with the theme of requirement #3, i've come to the conclusion that when i go camping, i NEVER get a good night's rest. i always toss and turn, and end up with the impression that i was awake the whole night, even though i know i wasn't because i have really cuckoo dreams. i think as far as restless nights go though, this camping trip takes the cake. let me set the scene for you--one tent, two air mattresses (one that could comfortably fit 2 people, 3 people squeezed, and another that could comfortably fit one person, 2 people squeezed), and 6 people (but two arrived at 11:30, so they got the floor by default). in order to maximize air mattress surface, we decided to shove the two together. guess who got to sleep on the crack?
oh right. me.
it wasn't so bad in the beginning, but as the night when on i inevitably ended up wedged between the two mattresses with a giant rock in my back. i woke up from a fitful sleep at the crack of dawn (literally) with my bladder screaming (not literally) at me. i layed there (wedged) for another hour and half probably, deliberating on whether or not i should get out of my warm cubby and risk getting eating by a cougar in the wee morning light, or if i should try to go back to sleep. the efforts to rekindle a REM cycle were terribly thwarted by three culprits: a. the wedge and the rock, b. the screaming bladder, and c. THE GUY WHO SNORED THE ENTIRE NIGHT. LOUDLY. LIKE CHAINSAW LOUD.
in the end, my bladder defeated my fear of being eaten, and i ventured out to scout a good squat spot. first of all, can i just say that boys have it so easy when it comes to camping? second of all, i think one of the most ignominious deaths would be to get attacked by a bear or a mountain lion while squatting. because not only do you die, but when they find your body, your pants are around your ankles.
anyway. this is getting too long. let me just end by saying this: i really love camping.
2 comments:
jumelle, your posts are the b.e.s.t. to read. always. this one made me laugh out loud several different times while sitting in my office. pretty sure my co-workers think I'm cuckoo bananas.
looks like you guys had fun. also, I notice you curled your hair ever so cute before going camping. classy. you really know how to camp :-)
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