As the sun was setting and we were arranging our provisions we realized we hadn’t brought along toilet paper. Serena rolled her eyes in horror when Joey proposed using the leaves off the nearby trees. Luckily I found a large stack of paper napkins in the pickup.
The next drama occurred when Arlene, grumbling that mosquitoes had picked on her for dinner, accidentally sprayed repellent into Joey’s eyes. After we had washed his eyes out and convinced him that he hadn’t gone permanently blind, we built a campfire. Whoever questioned as to why it takes only one careless match to start a forest fire but a whole boxful to start a campfire just about got it right. I grilled some burgers and peace prevailed in the aftermath of pacified stomachs.
I had a night hike planned and we braved it out without any flashlights. I walked out in front with the kids out in a line behind me and kept shouting out warnings of obstacles like big rocks and roots. Unfortunately a couple of times before I could warn them, Joey and Arlene had already slipped. I asked if there were any injuries only to be answered by Joey’s wry crack “only to my pride … and I don’t think this moth I fell on is ever going to fly again!” It was supposed to be a forty minute hike but it took us about two hours because we got lost and had to go back on our tracks a couple of times. By the time we got back we were really tired and the insistent sound of crickets was hardly any disturbance to our hard-earned slumber.
The next day, a quick breakfast of cereal was followed by another hike upstream to a good fishing spot where I laid out a challenge - the person who caught the biggest fish for lunch would get a special reward. The kids really got into it and there was a lot of competitive ribbing about the “one that got away”. Joey’s eyes lit up at the special Swiss army knife which he won and I got a chance to show the kids how to clean and grill the fish – I don’t think we had ever enjoyed a meal more!
That night we took turns to tell ghost stories around the campfire but when Joey elected to act the part of a female ghost, the thing quickly descended into a farce and we ended up screaming with uncontrollable laughter instead. Since the night was so fine we spread blankets outside the tent and slept out. That was the most beautiful part of the trip, as we lay there, gazing up at the stars and feeling a deep sense of peace and contentment.
We packed up next morning and headed back home, stopping on the way for lunch at a restaurant, a reintroduction to the concrete jungle of our daily world. It was the end of our trip but we had already started planning the next one; this time, a more ambitious one to a national park with my daughter included as well.
What is it about camping—about roughing it without a flush toilet, a hot shower or a cold drink, of simply being together under a starlight sky with the bare necessities—that so amazingly renews and deepens our bonds with our loved ones? Perhaps Einstein was right when he said “look into nature and you will understand everything better”. I just can’t wait for the next trip!
