Is There Such a Thing as Camping Too Early?

The trees (sadly) are just starting to bud out here. Spring is finally on its way. Driving down the tree lined street with all the teeniest little buds poking their way out of the branches, making their first appearance of the year. I was taken back to a memory when a girlfriend and I couldn't wait to go camping. I think it was May 1st and we decided it would be in our best interest to go camping. Little did our significant others know about this until they came home to a packed vehicle ready to tackle the wilderness.

We packed everything, wood, stoves, sweaters, shoes, alcohol, cards, games, sleeping bags, Jell-O shooters...you get the drift. After an hour of driving we arrived at our campsite, we set up our tents, BBQ, stoves, food storage etc, we were ready. We decided we were going to have a look see at the rest of the die-hard campers and see what new camping friends we could make. To our dismay we were it, except for the veteran campers who happened to be in a trailer. (Little did we know how smart they were.)

After some frivolity, Jell-O shots, food and more Jell-O shots, night fell and we soon realized that it was damn cold. Even with all the liquor we'd ingested we were still freezing. Despite our layer after layer of clothing and burning of about 7 bags of wood we were still a little cold. We collectively (in our drunken stupor) decided that we would drink more alcohol, stoke the fire and sleep in the back of our SUV's. 

Even the best laid plans get ruined because by the time it was bed time we were too drunk to care and we were all bundled up pretty good. I believe that was the first and only time I slept with a toque on. We decided that 4 bodies in a 4 person tent was better than 2 in an SUV...Hmmm???? After the debacle of all 4 of us crawling into the tent, laughing, more laughing, pee breaks and then finally sleeping, we awoke to dare I say it...SNOW!!!

Despite our best efforts we could not beat Mother Nature. We packed up our gear and went to the nearest hotel...with a hot tub and enjoyed the rest of our first weekend of the year camping. My one piece of advice...NEVER go camping in Alberta before the May long weekend, unless you know of a good hotel with a hot tub.

Being Replaced

How is it in the workplace we know at the drop of a hat we are replaceable, yet in our personal lives that thought never crosses our mind?

When we meet someone and it turns into a relationship we think that it'll be forever. But when forever turns into 25 years short of that, we go our separate ways and move on. We live day to day completely oblivious, until that one day we find out he/she has found someone else. We think to ourselves how is this possible, I was everything that he/she wanted? That statement right there is what I'm talking about. How could I be replaced? We have this skewed vision on ourselves and feel that no one can take our place. Yet every day at work we are on our toes knowing full well that we can be replaced. So why can't we carry this very helpful information forward with us in our personal lives? We know when we leave a job; we will assist in training our replacement. So why is it so hard in our personal lives to accept that we will eventually be replaced?

We work so hard in our lives to try and be the best we can be but somewhere along the way we forget ourselves and try to tailor who we are for someone we think they (either he/she) want us to be. Our view of reality becomes a facade which we must work very hard at keeping up. The line between reality and fantasy becomes very fine, which then leads me to the inevitable question..."When can I be replaced?" Which should then lead us to the inevitable answer...I wasn't happy with who I'd become. It's no wonder I was replaced. So as we ponder this very simple explanation we have to chuckle to ourselves and say when it really matters, I won't care if I'm replaced just as long as I don't lose myself in the process.

Film vs. Digital

Remember back in the "olden days" when we would look through the eye piece of a camera and would take a picture? When the film was done, it would automatically rewind and we would take the film into the photo shop to be developed. As the days passed we would eagerly be anticipating the arrival of our developed film…only to be disappointed that we didn’t get the “perfect shot”.

With the digital age upon us we're lucky if we print any pictures at all. I too have fallen victim of the lightning fast shutter, the inhumanly amount of memory and last of all the instant gratification. There is definitely something to be said about the last feature mentioned, because really when it comes right down to it we all want to look our best in pictures. We want to be able to look back and say to our grandchildren "See, I was hot". But in saying that, there is no more anticipation, nothing to look forward to. So in turn because we've been satisfied with seeing how great the photos look we neglect to get the pictures printed and put into an album. And should the camera or memory card get into the wrong hands they could be lost forever. Because really let’s face it who has the time and energy to get them organized on the computer? No one. So we go along forgetting about all of those memories, stored away in the teeniest tiniest little piece of technology.

I wish I could say something bad about the digital, but I can't. I am a part of the problem...partially I am still a little old school because I do go through my photos, organize them on the computer, print them, save them and even back them up. I am one of the few people who do that. So my plea to you all is to enjoy all the perks of digital, but please don't forget to print those memories. So you can go back anytime you want and go through an album as opposed to going through the camera. It's a little bit of old school in the digital world.

Returning Home

There is something so bittersweet about heading home from vacation. Part of you longs for the comforts of home and the other part of you wants to stay on vacation.

Here I sit in a crowded airport in a foreign country to which I have never been before; waiting patiently and a little anxiously for my flight to start boarding. I wonder (feeling a little guilty) why am I so eager to get back home? I don't have to wait very long to get my answer...my bed, my clothes, my family, my friends and most of all food that I am familiar with. All the comforts of home, that you don't realize you miss until their not available.

I'm sure most everyone is like me, vacationing is fun but after 7-10 days I want to go home. I don't like living out of a suitcase, having a limited amount of clothing, accessories and shoes. I need to have the variety of food choices that seem to be very limited when you’re on vacation. If I want to go and crack open a box of say, Kraft Dinner; then I know that I can go to my pantry and it’ll be there; but on vacation chances are it’s not available. Even something as small as water pressure; I miss the feeling of the shower pelting me in the face telling me to “wake up”. I know it sounds trivial; but it’s what I’m familiar with and I think that is one of the reasons that I am looking forward to going home.

I don't know how people travel all over the world all the time and not go stir crazy. I need a place to "hang my hat" if you will, a place to call my own. I like the feeling of knowing what to expect when I arrive home.

Home...here I come; I believe my flight is now boarding.