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!