I mean in something where you sleep under canvas and the pattering of raindrops lull you to sleep.
This may surprise you (after reading the above sentence), but I'm really not a fan of camping. Not at all.
Yet, that's actually why I'm giving you this piece of advice: because it's good to step out of one's comfort zone.
I went camping for a total of three weeks this summer. And it's done me much good. For example: I'm much more calm around bugs now. I don't scream nearly as loud as I once did whenever I find a spider in my clothes.
I've also embraced the air-dried hair (adorned with little twigs fallen off trees), wearing the same cotton dress from Target for three days straight look. I cast my cute sandals aside for walking shoes and Crocs. And I even stopped caring that my legs were pock-marked with nasty mosquito bites (though the itching drove me nuts).
Seriously, though. Camping has real advantages, especially for most people who can't afford those week-long, five-star hotel stays in the Caribbean (you know, the ones your friends post infuriating pictures of on Facebook). It's your ticket to getting to see lots of great places, without maxing out the credit cards.
Case in point: during my three weeks sleeping in a tent-trailer, I saw:
Downtown Boston
Harvard
Cape Cod
Virginia Beach
Bottlenose dolphins swimming close to shore
Williamsburg (outlets!!!)
Jamestown
And of course I had access to all these wonderful things we don't have in Québec city, like Ben&Jerry's ice cream shops and affordable shoes and handbags.
I also got so much fresh air, warm weather and sunshine, I'm just about ready for another winter now (no, I'm not insane).
It's true I had to duck into Starbucks just to escape, from time to time, but it was worth it (hint: if you're like me, choose a campground that's near a city, or at least in close proximity to a place with a decent café). I'm even (almost) looking forward to my camping trip next year.
Have any interesting camping stories? Please leave a comment.
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