Camping!

Ok I admit, when I was in Girl Scouts in elementary school, I despised camping. I hated the hiking, the dirty outdoors, the bugs, and not to mention, the cold temperatures. I was the complainer who never wanted to do anything but sleep. You can imagine my attitude when my boyfriend announced that it would be fun to go camping with a friend. Our destination: Pickwick Dam.

I was reluctant at first, and in all honesty, I thought I would back out. But I didn't. I prepared for the worst, and hoped for the best. You know what? It was fun.

I went to Wal-Mart the night before we left and got a new sleeping bag. They didn't have pink, so I got a blue and gray one. I did find a bright pink mini MagLite flashlight though. I also found a pink toothbrush holder, mini Herbal Essences shampoo, travel sized contact solution, and a mini toothpaste tube. Whilest shopping, we headed back to the camping section where I found a little pack of toilet seat covers and wet wipes. I was set!

The tent we used was an older one by Coleman. My grandmother bought it for me at an estate sale because she thought I may want to go camping one day. She was right! It was really easy to set up and take down. Plus, all the parts were there.

I had a great time. I didn't miss my computer or the TV. We had cell phone reception, but I hardly used mine. It was really peaceful and the campfire kept us warm all night. We also got a great campsite. It was near the bathrooms, and it had electricity and running water. My boyfriend's friend brought a coffee maker, his grill (even though there's one at each site), an outdoor light, and a water hose to hook to the site's water faucet. He's a smart cookie, that one.

The only thing I would recommend: bring an air mattress. I'm serious. Maybe that's a "Duh, Stacy" kind of statement, but I thought we'd be ok by layering thick fur blankets and sleeping bags. Wrong. I had to keep shifting to avoid getting sore, and my neck was all twisted. Oh well, lesson learned.

We stayed for three days and two nights which was just enough to enjoy the camping experience without getting tired of it. I highly recommend camping...at least do it once in your life.

I think we're going to check out some other nearby state parks for our next camping trip. But before we go, I'm buying an air mattress and an outdoor light.

Happy Camping!