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Rediscovering the Joy of Getting Dirty
A few weekends ago, my partner and I decided to take the kids camping in a tent for the first time. Honestly, I never imagined I’d go camping, mostly because I’m a bit freaked out by the idea of aliens and, to a lesser degree, bears. Plus, the thought of getting dirty, sleeping on the ground, and navigating to a communal restroom in the dark at 2 AM didn’t thrill me.
Ah, the things we do for our little ones.
Since it was fall, I assumed the night would be cool—even in Florida. I convinced myself that with the tent zipped up tight, the aliens wouldn’t bother us, kind of like how a sundial would baffle us today. We brought air mattresses, heavy-duty flashlights for those midnight bathroom trips, and our little dog, who could serve as a decoy in case of an alien or bear encounter.
We picked a campground right by the river and packed two shiny new fishing rods, our hearts brimming with hopes of catching a mountain of fish. Forget the fact that my partner’s fishing experience mainly comes from watching YouTube videos. If he can change brakes that way, fishing must be a breeze, right?
When we arrived at our campsite, we set up the tent with—believe it or not—barely any bickering. It was surprisingly fun! Then, I turned around and saw this:
I lost it. “What are you doing?! Look at your face! You’re covered in dirt! How is it possible to get that messy so quickly!?” Yes, I hurt my daughter’s feelings because I was being a total grump and apparently hadn’t touched dirt in about 20 years.
To make it up to her, I grabbed the camera and started snapping pictures while speaking in my overly cheerful “please don’t cry” voice. Eventually, I got her to smile and apologized. After that, I loosened up. I realized that if I couldn’t embrace the dirtiness, no one would enjoy themselves, because camping is all about getting a little messy. If you’re not getting dirty, you’re probably missing the point.
While my partner prepared fishing lures, the kids indulged in snacks we usually don’t allow, like Sprite and Doritos. We fished, had a hilarious encounter with a pufferfish, and did cartwheels by the river. Dinner consisted of hot dogs cooked in a heavy iron skillet over the fire pit. We were getting dirtier by the minute.
Later that evening, as it was time for s’mores, we found out we’d left both sets of skewers at home. After a five-minute debate about who was to blame, our son innocently suggested we use sticks instead, reminding us how silly we were being. We ended up laughing as we searched for the perfect sticks. I started to think about how camping is like life: if you can’t embrace the mess, it just isn’t any fun.
The s’mores turned out delicious! We stayed up late, giggling over card games like Go Fish and War, then piled together on our air mattresses, snuggled up as a bunch of filthy humans. Despite the heat and having to keep the tent flaps open, thankfully, no one encountered aliens or bears that night.
So our first camping adventure was a hit. We loved it so much that we’re already planning another trip for December. Bring on the dirt!
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Summary:
Jennifer reflects on her family’s first camping experience, revealing the joys and messiness of outdoor life. Despite initial concerns about dirt and nighttime fears, the adventure leads to laughter, bonding, and a newfound appreciation for embracing the mess.