Camping
Topic: Whatever
I realized this weekend that I don't really like camping for itself. I've realized this for a long time but I just didn't believe it. I don't mind camping if it's to spend time with people or to save money or whatever, but I would rather be in a motel or home. It's just so time consuming. It's a pain to cook outside and the sleeping leaves something to be desired and I prefer a bathroom, with a shower, that is private. Yes, another thing, camping is so dirty. I cannot keep my hands clean and always feel grubby.

My idea of going back to nature is to go on a hike and then come back to my own home or to a hotel. Yes, I like a real bed to sleep in and a real stove to cook on and a refrigerator instead of a block of ice. A motorhome would be nice but I can't afford that. There are places that I don't mind camping such as the Grand Canyon where I can get up in the morning and walk down to the cafeteria for breakfast. If I'm with people I like, I don't mind it because I enjoy being with them and so I don't mind camping. These are exceptions.

I also realized that I'm really somewhat fearful while sleeping in a tent. I listen to every sound worrying that it's a wild animal or person. I don't worry about that at home or in a hotel, but a tent is so fragile. I loved it when I had my little Nissan pickup with the camper shell. I slept in it and felt fine and safe.

I love hotels, even cheap hotels. It's so nice to have this private space to myself after a long day of travel and I don't even have to clean it up. I like hotels better than hostels. Hostels are cheap and that's fine when it's needed, but I prefer a hotel. Maybe part of this is age and not being able to sleep as well as I used to. Hostels are just noisy and while people point to them as such a great way to meet people, those people, young people most of them, all want to party and then come in late at night and wake me up even though they think they are being quiet. I wake up easy.

Oh well, I'm sure I will still camp because it's affordable or other people are or whatever, but I just don't plan to camp just to camp or when there are other alternatives. I feel like such a wuss!