Ah Wilderness! Camping. The great adventure. Hiking through the woods. The fresh air stirred by a gentle breeze. The smell of the pine tress. The green grass. The gnats that buzz around your head when you're trying to pitch the tent. Sweat rolling down your forehead right into your eyes. The dirt and grit tracked that stays with you long after you are home. The air mattress deflating in the middle of the night and end up sleeping on a root. The treks to the bathroom only to be faces with sandpaper-level toilet paper...
Dear god! Why didn't I just book a room at the lodge?! I thought it would be fun trying the rugged camping life. Boy, was I crazy!
From a recent experience, I've decided camping isn't a one-person activity. You gotta have someone else there to make it fun. I've also decided that I'm not much of a tent camper. I'd rather book a room. Have a nice bed with a comfortable mattress, clean sheets and blankets. A bathroom within walking distance with a light that I can turn off and on. A screen door between you and Mother Nature's buzzing friends is also nice.
In my opinion, it doesn't really matter how I camped. It was about the fact that I did it.
Right after my Mother died, my life began to change, and may I add, for the best. Her death became the crack in the egg-shell that I needed. Break out of old habits. Realize that life is short. Don't wait to create that bucket list and then rush around trying to check off one by one.
My new thinking habit: Do it now! That way when the end draws near, you can look back and say, in the immortal words of Edith Piaf, "Je ne regrette rien." Translated "I regret nothing." Or if you prefer, how about Frank Sinatra's "I did it my way." Of course, both made enough money that could do just about anything. But I digress.
One of my bucket list items is simply stated as "Travel." My camping experience falls under this category. I tried it, and decided next time, there will be a pre-booked room at the lodge involved.
As I look back over my life, we were a family of travelers, except for my sister who need a stick of dynamite shoved up her behind then blasted out of her house. (Sorry, Robin, but I know that J.D. would agree.) Trips to Florida to visit relatives. Road trips around the state. A trip to St. Louis, Philadelphia, and New York City. El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico. Even a world-wind tour of Europe.
I learned one thing about travel: It's important. No matter where you go or what you see, that fact remains that you did it. I have an 80-year old cousin in Florida that will grit his teeth when he reads this, but... One of my bucket list items was to stay in the Contemporary Hotel and the Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World. It did both and they were expensive, but I didn't care. The fact was I wanted to do it, and instead of waiting, I did it.
My travel list is long. Places to go, people to see, things to do.
Just make sure you travel. Oh and one more thing, make sure you've got a soft pillow...
CSM
Dear god! Why didn't I just book a room at the lodge?! I thought it would be fun trying the rugged camping life. Boy, was I crazy!
From a recent experience, I've decided camping isn't a one-person activity. You gotta have someone else there to make it fun. I've also decided that I'm not much of a tent camper. I'd rather book a room. Have a nice bed with a comfortable mattress, clean sheets and blankets. A bathroom within walking distance with a light that I can turn off and on. A screen door between you and Mother Nature's buzzing friends is also nice.
In my opinion, it doesn't really matter how I camped. It was about the fact that I did it.
Right after my Mother died, my life began to change, and may I add, for the best. Her death became the crack in the egg-shell that I needed. Break out of old habits. Realize that life is short. Don't wait to create that bucket list and then rush around trying to check off one by one.
My new thinking habit: Do it now! That way when the end draws near, you can look back and say, in the immortal words of Edith Piaf, "Je ne regrette rien." Translated "I regret nothing." Or if you prefer, how about Frank Sinatra's "I did it my way." Of course, both made enough money that could do just about anything. But I digress.
One of my bucket list items is simply stated as "Travel." My camping experience falls under this category. I tried it, and decided next time, there will be a pre-booked room at the lodge involved.
As I look back over my life, we were a family of travelers, except for my sister who need a stick of dynamite shoved up her behind then blasted out of her house. (Sorry, Robin, but I know that J.D. would agree.) Trips to Florida to visit relatives. Road trips around the state. A trip to St. Louis, Philadelphia, and New York City. El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico. Even a world-wind tour of Europe.
I learned one thing about travel: It's important. No matter where you go or what you see, that fact remains that you did it. I have an 80-year old cousin in Florida that will grit his teeth when he reads this, but... One of my bucket list items was to stay in the Contemporary Hotel and the Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World. It did both and they were expensive, but I didn't care. The fact was I wanted to do it, and instead of waiting, I did it.
My travel list is long. Places to go, people to see, things to do.
Just make sure you travel. Oh and one more thing, make sure you've got a soft pillow...
CSM
I am not gritting my teeth, they went to valhalla long ago. as you well know I always said travel the world and learn languages and stay in the back streets not the tourist traps.
ReplyDeletego to Dibrovnick, croatia and to Herceg Novi. Montenegro and you will not be disapointed.