This post is long overdue, but better late than never.

On the third weekend of May, I went camping in Algonquin park with five of my friends. Most of them had never been camping before. The last time Marcus went camping was when he was 13, and Jerome’s only camping experience was Singaporean military training (although this was probably enough for our purposes).

It was an interesting experience. We were unlucky enough to hit the coldest temperatures in a two week period, and it was raining for half of our stay. Our tarp set up was pretty sketchy (honestly due to my own inexperience with tying tarps), but they held up ok against the light rain. Still, nighttime humidity was high and temperatures dropped to around 6C, which is the lowest temperature my sleeping bag is rated for. I decided I needed a better sleeping bag after waking up shivering at 5am on Saturday.

Despite the miserable conditions, the experience was quite enjoyable. We watched the sunset before the clouds rolled in on Friday night, and went hiking Saturday morning before the rain followed. Even while it was raining, spirits were still high. Suffering as a collective is usually better than suffering alone.

And again, despite the miserable conditions, I found myself feeling very much at peace. There is something about spending a few nights outdoors that calms the soul like nothing else. Something about the substantial amount of effort to do the things we would usually consider convenient makes every success feel rewarding.

My family used to do a fair amount of camping. As a kid, we’d go camping maybe 3 or 4 times during the summer, and maybe once during Thanksgiving. A lot of fun was had. I remember waking up at the crack of dawn to go kayaking by myself, and seeing the lake shrouded in a thick fog. I paddled out a little and drifted around, watching the tip of my kayak make little ripples in the silky water. For a moment, I existed with the kayak and the lake, and there was nothing else in the world.

The start of high school brought the pandemic with it, and I ended up spending a lot more time indoors. My computer became my home, and the internet my bedroom. My family went camping less. I was fine with it, to be honest. Playing video games was a lot easier and more comfortable than sleeping in the forest and listening to my dad snore.

However, now that I’m 20 and I can do whatever I want (almost), I’ve realized that I’ve been missing that feeling I had on the kayak. I want to feel that kind of peace again, especially with all the stress I get from school. Sooo…I have made (tentative) plans! Specifically, a backpacking trip to the Dolomites with some friends next summer.

Go touch some grass, guys. I promise it’s worth it.