Camping Comrade Commendations
This is an appreciation post for my friends who will never see this. In fact, I would pay a lot of money to make sure that no one who knows me in real life ever sees this blog... hence the [redactions], but I digress.
A handful of friends and I went camping the other week. We all drove out to the campsite Friday night after work and set up at a cabin. It was raining all evening and night, but our outdoor cooking was not to be thwarted. After a mediocre night's sleep, we awoke, made breakfast, played some disc golf, and then cooked lunch, dinner, and dessert in camp.
The details aren't too important, but the people are. These friends of mine are quite the cast of characters. Spending 48 hours with them was an adventure. We honestly spent most of our time cooking and eating, but they say that's one of the most effective ways of bonding1. Over one of these meals, one friend announced that they wanted us all to be in their wedding party. What an honour. And so we ate, drank [water], and were merry.
Every friend played their own important role during the trip, be it chef, photographer, pyromaniac, or voice of reason. I'll let you guess which one I was. And I wouldn't have it any other way. A weekend without using the internet, or a cell phone generally due to lack of service, can just let you take a step, albeit a small one, out of the world and really appreciate what's right in front of you. In this case, good friends, good food, and good [enough] weather.
If you haven't been camping, I can't recommend it enough. Get a couple of friends together, prepare accordingly, and just go. You'll make mistakes, like melting the plastic handle on a pan or tripping over a rock into a thorned bush (I'm thankful for tweezers). But with friends nearby, those otherwise sour moments turn into the memories that make the trip worthwhile.
Yours Truly,
[Redacted]
Citation needed.↩