First time camping, lessons learned.

 Happy campers? I think, for the most part. :-)

I've never been to camping with my folks and by folks, I meant,my aunt, sister and my aunt's friend, Rhea. So when Rhea suggested that we'd go to Hornby Island and set up camp for two days, I was excited. I've never been to Hornby Island in the first place and I'd love to try camping. I realized that it entails a lot of work--planning and organizing, and most of all, patience and a sense of humor. We shared a lot of funny moments during our stay. We were amateurs but we made the most of what we had.

Allow me to share some valuable lessons I learned during our two-day stint up close with nature....

Never trust the weather forecast. What the weatherman says like a week or a few days before can drastically change in a heartbeat. I learned this the hard way, or should I say, we did. Our first foray into camping turned out to be a not too pleasant experience ( and the kind that we hoped for ) when we were caught off guard with the rain during our stay. Of all the days to be raining, it had to be on our first day and the next day. Fortunately, we managed to set up our tents before the rain turned into a light downpour. We were also thankful for the trees in our campsite that provided a bit of cover. But all in all, I still enjoyed it.

 Happily played "photographer" the entire time and met Ke$ha on the beach.

Be prepared. I find this very important only after. We didn't anticipate the weather changing so we came with just clothes appropriate for hot summer days. We didn't realize that it gets cold during the night, especially when the temperature starts to dip low. The first night, I tossed and turned and was cold, I stayed half-awake most of the time during the night. I couldn't wait for morning to come.

Just roll with the punches. I'd be lying if I say that I was comfortable going to the outhouse or lay down so close to the ground, with just an air mattress in between. I miss the comfort of my own bed. Then there's the issue of not being able to take a normal shower ( the kind I'm used to ). After two days, I feel dirty. I dreaded the time when I need to go to the washroom because I don't like to look at the black void underneath. But then, I think that's the point of camping, to get away from the "comforts" of daily life. Frankly, it was kind of  relaxing to sit on the folding chair, with my feet up on the bench and a drink on my hand, while I listened to the different sounds around me -the rustle of leaves as a light breeze fanned the trees; the somewhat annoying sound of the crows overhead; the happy shrieks of kids while they play at a nearby clearing and the soft rumble of an occasional car as it navigated around the campsite. Its cool that for once, I didn't have to think or worry about anything. My cellphone was stashed safely in my backpack.

 After two days and two nights, we were ready to go. We couldn't wait to get back to our routines. We had breakfast first before we pack our stuff. And after we made sure that everything was in order and our belongings safely stashed in the car, we were off.

I told my sister that I like camping and would like to do it again. She said she liked it too, except for the part when she had to crawl to get into the tent. As for me, I like it. My only concern was going to the outhouse, but I think its way better than having to squat on the bush.Till next time. :-)