So it’s Talk Like A Pirate Day. Steven and I seem to be a little challenged in this area…

May I suggest Little Einstein’s Pirate Treasure for your daily read.

Mitchell is very outdoorsy. He loves to camp, play in the woods, float on the river and hike. I’ve always considered myself too … prissy for the outdoors. I don’t like the get dirty or sweaty. I’ve been able to come up with excuses to not go until this weekend.

I’ve now had my first camping experience and I love it! Some friends of our purchased some very raw land for everyone to gather a couple times a year for a big camping weekend. They have invited everyone to feel free to camp there throughout the summer, as long as they helped clean out a few camping areas. So not only did I camp this weekend, I also did manual labor!

When we first got out to the land, Chuck, Dustin and Chasity had already been out all weekend. They had cleared a majority of our camping area, but Mitchell and I did work on our camp site and a trail to lead there. We then helped clear out two more camp areas along with trails to them also.

The greatest thing of the weekend was I didn’t hate it! I actually enjoyed myself. I did learn a few things…

1. I would never make it on my own in the woods. I would get lost and starve.
2. Sleeping under the stars is very underrated. It has to be the most amazing thing in the world.
3. It does take a while to lose uptight, prissy Jennifer and relax enough to be camping Jennifer. The transition is weird, but once that happened, I didn’t want to come back to the busy real world.
4. The no shower thing is the hardest part for me. I don’t think I’ve ever smelled as bad as I did coming home.
5. Sitting around a fire in the woods, drinking, talking, laughing, joking really brings out the “real” in you.
6. I didn’t bitch and moan as much as I thought I would. Mitchell actually bitched more than I did.
7. Bug bites itch.
8. I made a new friends. I spent only a few hours with Dustin and Chuck and one day with Chasity and I feel I’ve known them my whole life.
9. Air mattresses are a life saver.
10. Sleeping on a slope suck.
11. Chasity kicks Mitchell’s ass camping. She can start a better fire and cook better.

I did also realize the biggest difference between Mitchell and I and our views of camping and the outdoors is, he could live in the outdoors and come to the town just to get stories to tell around the campfire. Me, I like to go camping to get away, but I can’t wait to get home and blog about it

Oh, I forgot the most important part!  Chasity taught me to pee in the woods!