Why do people camp? I mean seriously, take a moment and really think about what camping is. You leave all the comforts of your home and you drag your family and your trailer out into the middle of the woods. After the longest 4-hour drive of your life, 18 attempts to back your RV into your spot (which almost ended in a divorce), and 45 minutes of getting camp set up, you now have the pleasure of getting eaten by mosquitoes for the next 5 days. Oh, and you don’t have Wi-Fi.
People say, “Camping is a tradition in our family.” Jim Gaffigan, a famous comedian, once said, “I’m pretty sure camping was a tradition in everyone’s family until we invented the house”.
So back to my original question, why on earth do people go camping? Well the answer is actually pretty simple. We live in a crazy, chaotic, and complex world. Everyday we are bombarded with negativity by the news and by social media. It seems at times that the world has never been a more stressful place to live in.
Because of this, humans have a desire that, generations ago, we may not have had: a desire to unplug. We feel a need to escape the tremendous stresses of everyday life, to unplug from the endless stream of negativity that our phones feed us, and to find relief from the anxieties and worries that living in our modern society creates.
Getting away from it all, surrounding ourselves with the people we love most, and just taking a moment to catch out breath is something we could all use. That’s why I love to camp. I love being close to nature and being able to appreciate the beauties that our planet offers. I enjoy the fresh air and I love kicking back next to a warm, flickering fire. I miss my phone at first, but always appreciate the benefits of being unplugged for a few days. Most of all, I love being able to hit life’s pause button and forget my worries and cares for a few days. Some of my absolute best memories were made while I was camping.
So yes, on paper, spending a small fortune to go into the woods and live like a homeless person might not exactly make sense. But the benefits that stepping away from our chaotic society and enjoying life do make sense. So even if you dread backing your RV up to your campsite, or if your stomach turns every time you have to dump your tanks, or if the thought of the drive to your favorite camping spot with kids screaming the entire way gives you a migraine, plan that camping trip anyway! Reserve the site right next to the lake, hitch up the trailer, pack your bug repellent, and go have fun. You deserve it.
