Tuesday, July 6, 2010

This One Time at Church Camp...

This year I decided to try new things, well at least things that I do not normally do, even if the rest of the world does. Camping with my family is one thing I have never done. Yes, I went to summer camp as a child. I have even gone on weekend camping trips with my daughter's Girl Scout troop. However, we have never as a family gone camping. Luckily, our church has a Family Camp trip each summer over the 4th of July. Of course for years I have found reasons not to go to Family Camp, this year I had run out of excuses...so we camped. Let me tell you it takes a lot (a ton) of stuff to camp. I would list it, but the rest of you most likely have camped so you know already all the stuff. Here is what you may not know, camping with a bunch of other families from church is hilarious. I will share just a few of the observations I made while in the "wilderness".

  1. What happens at Family Camp stays at Family Camp. Its like Vegas with more trees, and less electricity...but pretty much the same amount of "adult beverages". If offered a trip to Las Vegas or another camping trip...well even this lover of modern conveniences would have a hard time picking
  2. Completely disregarding the confidentiality statement in point #1, (sorry, rules are meant to be broken). Five grown adults can amuse themselves for about and hour trying to get a dead hanging branch out of a tree. The best tools to use for such a task are a basketball and a football , and not a flip flop (in case you are ever in this situation). This activity will also be looked upon as a "public service" by the five adults, because who knows when that branch may have fallen out of the tree and caused untold harm to an unsuspecting passerby? The passersby observing this activity will look upon it as complete tomfoolery.

  3. Kids whine a lot less when they are running around filthy with other kids their age. They also sleep like the dead and do not complain about what food they are served. In other words, nature can pretty much work miracles.
  4. Cleanliness is relative when camping. I averaged a couple showers a day and some swimming and still managed to feel pretty filthy all the time. Fortunately, there is a lovely drink made from hops and barley that helps one care a bit less that there is a skim of dirt all over there legs and feet.
  5. Spending a few days disconnected from computers, TV's, and other technology is surprisingly easy. Yes, my phone was on, but was used more as a "walkie talkie" to check on the kids or find out where the fun was happening across camp. Sure I could have bought real walkie talkies, but the mobile phones worked fine. Sitting around playing cards and talking with friends is far more entertaining than any television show or movie.

Camping has gained another convert! It is a church camp miracle! That being said, please do not expect to run into me on a remote backwoods trail carrying all my gear in a back pack, and digging holes to use as a toilet. I am a Lutheran, and I would protest that.

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