Is Owning a Camper in my Future? (August 19, 2021)

 

When my sister and brother-in-law drove up with their new RV last year, my heart inexplicably did a little pitter-patter.  I’m in that class of adults whose last camping experience was when my children were little.  It was fun, but then it stopped being fun when they grumbled about having to be separated from their friends (if said friends were not invited along, and since I preferred keeping things simple, their friends were typically not invited.) And the last time before that when I thought camping was fun was when I was little.  It, too, ceased to be fun when I began to prefer the company of my friends who, of course, were not allowed to join us.

Now, in the early morning as I sip my coffee, my relaxing ritual of conjuring both ventures and adventures yet explored includes the camping life.  It seems necessary to point out here that I am a regular visitor at the Salisbury Beach State Reservation, an enormously popular camping destination, and I love it. . . in the winter. . . when few people are present and the space between is far enough so conversation would be inconvenient.*  (To learn a little bit about the history of Salisbury Beach, read my post “Salisbury Beach’s Original South End” - http://scoscheofclass.blogspot.com/2021/02/salisbury-beachs-original-south-end.html.)  

 

I think what I like best about the idea of camping - even more than the opportunity to enjoy nature - is the ease of being alone among people.  (I bet I was really good at parallel play when I was a toddler.)  In my morning musings I make all kinds of mental lists - places I’d like to visit, RV options, outdoor activities that complement my personality, necessary gear, recipe ideas, and cute names for my camper, to name a few.  It seems that each day, my thinking about camping expands, which tells me that it’s time to make my lists more durable and seriously weigh all the pros and cons.  In other words, I think I’m getting serious about joining the itinerant community.  It might just be my wildest dream to date, but I see myself crossing the United States in a camper with my little doggies, finally seeing our country’s interior and furthest reaches for the first time.  I’d love to be able to take in the majesty of natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon, the Badlands, and the Redwood Forest.  In the meantime, as I’ve been counseled by a well-meaning sister, I should “try before I buy”.  This weekend will be my first return to camping in over 25 years.  It’s debatable whether it truly classifies as camping; I’m doing the “glamping” thing.  As you can see, I’m easing myself in nice and slow!  And, as part of my efforts at self-improvement, whereby I endeavor to counteract my solitary tendencies, I will set an arbitrary goal of meeting and talking to at least four strangers. . . the safe-looking ones, not the creepy-looking ones.  It’s a process.  (Tom and Marg will be nearby, so I needn’t feel threatened. . . and if you know Tom, the chances are high that we’ll be meeting all kinds of new people.)

 

Here’s one list (in no particular order; it includes only places I’ve never been):

 

“Places I’d Like to Visit”. (or “Things I’d Like to See”)

• Niagara Falls, NY
• Hudson Valley, NY
• Redwood Forest, CA
• The Grand Tetons, WY
• Lincoln’s Tomb, IL
• Shenandoah Valley, VA
• Lewis & Clark National Historical Park, OR
• Grand Canyon, AZ
• Gettysburg, PA
• Key West, FL

 

Feel free to offer one of your own suggestions for places to visit. 

(I’ll keep y’all posted on how the weekend goes; the good, the bad, and the ugly.)   

*To be fair (to myself, at least), I do enjoy the company of others, but in small doses.  These days, people exhaust me, and so, whenever I have plans to be with friends or family, I have to have an exit strategy already formulated.  Many are the times that I abruptly and clumsily take my leave, causing others to wonder if they might have said or done something that caused me offence.  Nope, it’s (almost) never the case that they have behaved badly; it’s just that my threshold has been reached.  I’m working out the reasons why this is the case and why it seems more exaggerated at this stage of my life, but I’ll leave that deconstruction for later.