Lived to tell the tale

I camped for three days and three nights and only cried twice and once was before we even got to the campground, so that may not even count. Which means, my friends, that our first ever camping weekend was a success!

Camping girl was ready to go!

We spent three nights in a 25 ft. RV. We packed up all our personal belongings, loaded them into Sean’s truck, schlepped them to the RV rental place where we transferred them into an RV, which we then drove an hour to the campground. Where, for the next three days, we attempted to find all the personal and household items we packed and stored in clear, plastic bins that, while clear, all began to look alike after day two thanks to our extreme sleep deprivation. Because during night one, we nearly froze to death.

And to think I was worried about having air conditioning.

This weekend was full of pros and cons. Biggest pro: chatting with friends. We got to walk around each other’s campsites and visit. We also sat on the beach and talked, and had time during meals to catch up as well. I loved the personal interaction. If I had to pick a high point, it was talking with so many of the people I love but don’t get the chance to hang out with here in Normalville. You know, where we have houses.

The cons, though, are biggies. The preparation required to camp is insane. By the time we pulled into the campground, I felt I’d worked a week just to get us ready to “vacation.” Another huge con for me is the dirt. Y’all, it is just gross. This particular campground, apparently, doesn’t believe in grass; instead, they have fields of dirt. Which the children love. Me? Not so much. And because we had a limited amount of water in the RV, showers were very restricted. As in everyone else showered in the community bath house so I could use the shower in the RV.

I am aware my family loves me. Of course, if they really loved me, we'd have been in a hotel... But I digress.

I’m anxious to recount a few camping stories in other posts this week, but for now I’ll leave you with some pictures while I take a nap in my bed. Which is not a slab of foam covered in vinyl resting on a piece of plywood. Woo hoo!

Amy, Sean and Rebecca, getting their first look at the camper. Scene of my first crying episode. The camper was so dirty - we had to stop and buy Lysol spray so I could even think of sitting down in the back of that thing.

First night around the campfire. Mercifully, you cannot see the bottoms of their feet.

A camping tradition - ice cream from the Barn Store. Thanks, Megan, for this picture! Glad to have one with me in it to prove I was there!