The Camping Atmosphere

There are a lot of things I love about camping. Imagine that you're just opening your eyes as you wake up in your tent. It's the perfect temperature and the sun is warmly shining on your tent as you slowly get up. Pulling on a sweatshirt, you stumble toward the tent entrance. This is always one of favorite parts of the day. The day is just beginning, and as you step out of the tent you breathe in the fresh morning air and if you're like me you'll feel the dew on your bare toes. The breeze carries the scents of campfires, coffee, and the dewy grass. You can hear other people getting up and getting breakfast ready. I'm absolutely NOT a morning person, so I normally don't talk to anyone until maybe ten minutes after I get up. I just sit by the fire quietly waiting to fully wake up. Coffee eventually makes its way into my system and I become a semi functioning human being. Once I'm done helping with clean-up for breakfast, I'm free to go and I grab my bag and hop on my bike.

There is really nothing like a morning ride. I'll sometimes bike over to the lake, or to a field to read or draw for a little while. I really enjoy a little time by myself every morning. Sometimes I sit quietly with my eyes closed and just listen to what's around me. If I'm by the water I listen to waves hitting against the sand, a bird singing in a nearby tree, and maybe even a couple frogs. If I'm in a field, I'll hear the birds, wind rushing through through the trees, a couple squirrels, and if I'm lucky I'll hear a turkey. While I love the water and waves, I really treasure the moments when I see a few deer, turkeys, or maybe even a fox.

After a little while, I'll find some friends and we'll hang out, talk, and I might even join in on a game of volleyball or gaga ball. After some fun and activities, the afternoon over and done, the sun set, my friends and I go out in the dark to play one of the after-dark games. My personal favorite being Wolf Pack. Donning all black my friends and I sneak around, tracking, and running around in the dark, we try to find the "wolf" who is hiding somewhere. My team normally ranks pretty well. Listening for a while, hearing the howls of other teams and the reply howl of the "wolf." I won't give away all our strategies because that's something that took a few years to perfect. Once the game is over, I head back to camp with a couple friends and we hang out around the fire. Occacionally we'll sing but that doesn't happen too often. 

I really enjoy wandering back into a field at night too. The stars above me, a cool breeze around me, and memories of summer in my mind, I just quietly marvel at the world around me, where God has placed me, and the people He put in my walk of life. 

With the last couple hours, I sit at the fireside, the smoky air around me as I smile surrounded by friends and family. We talk about past years, funny stories, what's been going on in our lives and such. The nights are always lovely. Warm, tired, and maybe even sore, I eventually walk back into the tent, stumbling into the tent. With thoughts about the day going through my mind, I close my eyes and I fall asleep. Hoping the morning arrives soon so I can do it all again.

Do you enjoy camping? If I take any pictures during my upcoming camping trip, what do you want to see most? My mornings, my afternoons, my evenings, or my nights? Should I try to play volleyball this year? Comment below! 

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Thanks so much for reading!