20090824

camping and living simply

soooooo I haven't blogged since I went camping in august. and I've thought about a lot of things I wanted to blog about (of course) but I've been really busy since school started (of course) but that's not really the reason I haven't blogged. It's really because if I thought anyone was reading, I would have gladly shared my thoughts and been glad to do it. I have a cat, I don't need to talk to myself on the internet too. This not blogging lately thing is all your fault, people.

Immediately before and after I went camping the only people I came in contact with were my husband's relatives. These are people who will be the first to admit they are NOT campers. And for the first time in my life I found myself feeling as though I needed to defend my choice to go camping for a vacation. No one outright challenged our camping trip, but for the first time I really felt like my vacation preferences were outside the norm.

ok, not the first time. I don't like going to the shore. there, I've said it. moving on.

In my thought process of trying to defend camping to myself really, I realized why I do like camping so much. It's all about living simply. As much as I don't like road trips and hate traveling without a plan, I love being able to survive for a week on just what I brought with me.

And then I felt much much better when I got back to school. I never realized it before, but teachers are supportive of camping. I got completely different reactions from my colleagues than I did from my in-laws. Spontaneous outpourings about how beautiful the Maine woods are, pleas to see my pictures, and reminscing about camping trips past. yearnings to camp again, maybe when the kids are older.

anyone want to put forth a crazy theory about the prevelance of camping fondness among teachers at a private upper school?

5 comments:

  1. I can't speak for teachers, but camping is peaceful. Especially in the forest. Granted, I haven't been camping in a long while, but my dad used to bring us camping for a week every spring break when we were growing up. If it weren't so darn hot down here, I'd probably welcome camping trips a lot more.

    PS. I read your blog. I have it on my RSS feed so that I know when you update and I can come and read about your life.

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  2. @katie you're on my rss feed too. I don't have a stat counter so really, i have no clue who reads my blog rss or otherwise. oh, except kate, i'm sure shes out there too.

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  3. I follow.

    As for crazy theories, it seems to me that, in an urban area, camping just isn't something that occurs to people to do for fun unless you're already predisposed toward being environmentally-aware. Which I can imagine would be something that the teachers at your school would be.

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  4. I read your blog and I follow you on twitter. You are my little sis and I want to know what is going on in your life. I support your love of camping and all things outdoors. (That is why I run, a lot easier than going camping and I can do it more often). Love ya, have a great weekend. I will be chaperone for the marching band tonight and on the soccer fields on Saturday and long run on Sunday.

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  5. I read your blog entries... slowly but surely ;-)

    I think that perhaps teachers are so used to roughing it in the classroom that they like roughing it on vacation as well? Or perhaps they're aware of the beauty of nature because they are teaching it to the students? Or perhaps after dealing with students, they seek the peace and quiet of nature ;-)

    I'm glad that you're still a-camping, and I will always support said activity. :-) In fact, Bill and I are staying in a cabin at the KOA for the Navy game, and I mentioned that if it's not snowing, we could have a fire... He said "There WILL be fire".

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