Camping

So I went camping this weekend with a crapload of friends and a few "others" that will not be mentioned, seeing that in the day that I was there I never actually met them. In any case, camping always brings back some of the more pleasant memories of my childhood. My family spent what seemed like 2 months (which was actually 5 days or so) in various campgrounds throughout the state: Carpinteria, Big Basin Red Woods, Atescadero, Morro Bay, and most often El Capitan. My mom made us these tote bags that she filled with travel games. When we went to these places we would get a patch and she would sew them onto the bag. By the time we stopped using them, there must have been 15-20 patches on there. Maybe my favorite camping memory was the time that I got a big bump on my head from colliding with my brother. It is funny to me now because he got a fat lip since he was taller.

Camping really has changed so much. As a kid, I generally spent the day trying to get dirty. We looked for dirt clods to throw, found some paths to venture, created some paths, got poison oak from one of the paths that we created, found a low bridge to jump off of into the sand, skipped rocks, played wiffle ball, threw a frisbee, dug holes to China, went to the beach, and generally looked to cause trouble. Then there was the camp food. Burritos, spaghetti, BBQ, pancake breakfasts, an entire hog's worth of bacon, sausage, not so cold milk, and "orange juice," which was most often Sunny Delight. Ice was a commodity since it was supposed to keep the food cold. At least once a day we wandered to the camp store for a popsicle. We drank gallons of kool-aid (no soda) and laughed when the purple kool-aid turned our poop green. Night-time brought more food, board games by the light of a propane lantern, and trying to light shit on fire without my parents noticing. We did s'mores sometimes, but that wasn't a big hit in my family of non-chocolate eaters. Well, I think my mom ate the chocolate by itself.

Things are different now as a grown-up. This last weekend I spent most of my free time reading Harry Potter. I didn't throw any dirt and tried to avoid getting too much on myself. I went to the beach, but didn't go in the water (I'm a little self-conscious) and only managed to skip a few rocks. I understood the value of showering after going to the beach, which I did not when I was a kid. The food was the same. It always amazes me that what you can put together on a Coleman stove without a sink can be so good. This trip involved a McDonald's #2 for breakfast (sausage mcmuffin), storebought sandwich lunch, and a giant burrito that exploded in my hands as I tried to eat it. The gallons of Kool-Aid was exchanged for cases of Bud Light, and even a little Seagram's 7 and jug wine around the campfire. Last summer Amanda and I ventured to the liquor store for ice cream, so that tradition stayed. I even checked my e-mail and a few soccer scores on my cell phone, although I was disappointed in myself for doing it.

Although some things seem so different I guess the important stuff stays the same. Its time away from the working world. No TVs, DVDs, internet (except my cell phone - sorry), Playstations, or any of those things that we tend to distract ourselves with. I get to sit around the fire, have a few drinks, and rely on just the people that I am with for entertainment, whether its stories about the Disco Van, arguments over shitting in an RV, or coming up with favorite movie quotes. I can wake up in the morning and read next to the smoldering remains of that same fire as other people venture out of their tents, suffering from the lingering effects of Carlo Rossi. And no matter how much fun you have, its always nice to sleep in your bed again. So I guess in the end, although the parts have changed, camping is still one of the highlights of my year.

Next year will bring a whole new experience. Camping will likely take place within a week or two of returning from my honeymoon (it sounds weird even as I type it), but I can't imagine not making the trip. Hopefully, scheduling will allow me to make a longer stay and to make that stay with my wife. I won't assume to speak for Amanda, but I'm pretty sure camping will be part of our family tradition. I actually get excited about the prospects of bringing my kids camping one day.

(Oh, and I will post some pictures from this year's camping excursion as soon as I get motivated enough to hook up my new digital camera.)