5 Things I Learned While Camping with My Family

Boys really are noise with dirt on them.
My 14 yo son didn’t care if he wore the same Star Wars t-shirt everyday of our week long vacation. Said shirt started out white. It ended up greyish.

It takes 7 days to relax.
So 8 days for a vacation isn’t long enough. It’s statistically proven either take a 10+ day vacation or little trips. I didn’t fully relax until almost the last day. That may be because my family doesn’t sit still. I posted 2 pictures of myself reading by the fire. Both occasions lasted about 10 minutes. That was all I got for alone time the entire week. Did I mention they don’t like to do things without me either? This introvert was spent at the end of 8 days. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my family, but my sanity NEEDS alone time.

One of two times I got to read by the fire….all 10 minutes worth

This was the hike to the beach the first night camping.

YAY for the ocean….my happy place

Crazies

Kautz Creek at Mt Rainier

lots of iron in the water

Another hike

Yet another hike

Bacon and eggs
Over the fire in cast iron is always better than at home on the stove. Enough said.

Meals take longer
There’s no waiting to decide what’s for dinner. You have to either have the fire going to cook on or heat water. Or have propane to heat water which is not near as quick as the microwave. It all takes time. Then there isn’t the ‘clear the table and stack the dishwasher’ dishes have to be washed. And because of bear, all food needs to be put away. In your car. Every night. Also anytime you plan on leaving your site to go for anything. It was not convenient.

You will learn your husband must like Tetris
Or at least has a knack for packing the car. At OCD levels. But he will always get stuff to fit. It will usually take an hour. You will finally see this as a gift for him and an opportunity to grow in the area of patience for you. Embrace it.

In the end, you will still love each other and memories will have been made.