December Camping Blues?

Now that Old Man Winter has arrived in Ohio, we’ve finally put the camping gear away for the season. And I’m a little grouchy about it. I really miss camping.

If you would have told me 10 years ago I’d be spending my free weekends at State Parks and family campgrounds, I would have told you to get your head examined. Even I was surprised when we started camping last summer. I prefer a suite at the Ritz, the best food, and the latest spa treatments. There’s no spa at the campground.

I never planned to be a camper. It just sort of happened. Last summer, Doug got this wild idea to have more “family time” on the weekends, and the next thing I knew we were buying a travel trailer off of Craig’s list and we never looked back.

Five camping trips later, I’m addicted. There’s nothing like waking up to the sound of birds chirping or sitting by a campfire late at night. Instead of sitting in front of the TV, the kids are chopping wood, catching bugs, and gathering sticks for our next fire. (Yeah, I know, Abby is a little young to chop wood, but that doesn’t stop her from trying.) Life has become way too complicated, and camping brings us all to a better, simpler place.

Maybe this is a fad. A year from now, maybe I’ll be complaining about the bathrooms at the campground and nasty mosquitoes that invade our camper. Maybe I’ll miss unlimited hot water and clean clothes. Maybe I’ll be begging Doug to take me back to the Ritz. For now, there are lots of reasons I intend to keep camping, as soon as the weather breaks again. (You guessed it, I even have camping gear on my Christmas list.)

Any campers out there (or even closet campers)?