Abbey's Road: Feeling con-tent in the Great Outdoors
Way back in January, my brother in Connecticut sent me a Facebook message to this effect: “We’re going on a family vacation in West Virginia in June and you have no choice but to come. See you there!”
It wasn’t that we didn’t want to go; on the contrary, we have an enduring love for the woodsy state park and its rustic log cabins where my extended family has been gathering for reunions since before I was born.
The issue was more that, when you’re a middle-income family whose Steering Committee decided six months prior you would be spring breaking in Disney World and, therefore, you anticipate being mostly broke upon your return and into the indefinite future, the idea of booking additional vacations is really hard to stomach.
Which is how I finally roped Mr. Roy into taking a camping trip.
I should mention that camping is one of my favorite pastimes and remains, quite possibly, my favorite type of vacation. If you offered me a choice between a five-star hotel or a tent under the stars on a shaded site next to a body of water, I would probably choose the tent. There’s just something about the camping lifestyle that resonates with me: Waking up in the morning to a crackling campfire as you eat cold cereal from a paper bowl. The constant sound of birds and nature all around. Low hygiene standards. Low cooking standards. No schedule. Sitting around the campfire while it turns to ash, just talking.
“Listen,” I said sweetly to Mr. Roy as we tossed around the possibility of an un-budgeted-for getaway. “If we don’t feel like springing for a cabin, they also have camping available. I know it’s not ideal, but the girls would have fun. And it’s $30 a night!”
Can you guess which point hooked him?
Mr. Roy did not grow up camping, like I did. But he wasn’t deprived of adventures, either, and he’s a good sport. So when it became apparent that Operation: Mandatory Vacation would be a reality, he agreed to give camping a go.
In the nearly 14 years we’ve been married, Mr. Roy and I have never been on a camping trip, despite having most of the equipment to do so. Our excuses for waiting this long are as follows: Pregnancy. Baby. Weather. Work. Pregnancy. Baby. Toddler. Work. Pregnancy. Baby. School schedule. COVID. Work.
(I know people camp while pregnant and with babies. I am not one of those people. Sorry.)
So here we were, two grown-ups and three kids between the ages of five and 12, heading out on our first family tent camping excursion and leaning into the resources of my parents, who also attended Mandatory Vacation but chose to stay in a cabin. They graciously hauled our family’s 30-year-old L.L. Bean tent out of storage on our behalf; Dad even stopped by our campsite to help set it up.
He also furnished us with a hatchet and ax, because you can never be too prepared.
All in all, it was a great experience. The temperatures stayed reasonable, we had flush toilets and running water, the boxed mac ‘n cheese was a hit and the worst crisis that happened was that Mr. Roy accidentally locked the keys in the van, where his wallet and our food supply were being safely stored, at 10 p.m. the second evening of our stay.
I had forgotten about how much I love Camping People, who deserve a column to themselves. When dozens of strangers from across the country can gather in a space of a few acres and eat and sleep within shouting range of one another and collectively disregard certain aspects of personal hygiene (“You haven’t looked in a mirror today, have you? Neither have I! Cheers!”) and walk around in their PJs without passing judgment on one another — you know you’ve found something special.
As I write this, it’s been three days since our return and I still haven’t worked up the courage to ask Mr. Roy if he enjoyed himself.
Instead I’m just planning a little Labor Day getaway. Earlier today I sent him an email:
“Hey, there are a few campsites open at the state park over Labor Day weekend! Only $25. Wanna give it a try?”
Fingers crossed he says yes.
Abbey Roy is a mom of three girls who make every day an adventure. She writes to maintain her sanity. You can probably reach her at amroy@nncogannett.com, but responses are structured around bedtimes and weekends.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Abbey's Road: Feeling con-tent in the Great Outdoors
