Camping Moments
Travel Stories Series #2
I love camping because it brings me closer to nature, and lends itself to a simpler way of living. I especially look forward to our camping trip during Christmas and New Year each year. It is a great escape from the fussy giving dictated by the holiday season. The annual holiday camping trip offers us space to digest and integrate happenings over the course of the year. This spirit is captured in my earlier post What Holidays Are For.
It is also an opportunity to “get out of the box” and the daily routines, a time for renewed curiosity in this beautiful world. We were especially blessed for this year’s camping trip with good weather, good food, good fellowship, and no major setbacks. Last year, the first day we were on the beach at Palm Beach, our pup Sadie had a deep cut on her paw that disabled her for the whole trip. That, combined with a deep cold streak, put a big dent on our enjoyment.
This year’s trip surely made up for last year’s shortcomings. I found myself getting up early because I wanted to savor each day and have it last longer. There was so much to do every day: biking, walking, beaches, museums, Christmas lights, a boat parade, cooking, reading, eating out, laundry, a fire at night, visiting with friends, talking with fellow campers, reviewing a year’s worth of journals, watching Sadie playing with coconuts, or simply enjoying the sunshine…
In the morning when I woke up, instead of checking the clock for the time, I looked out of our camper’s large panoramic window to see the sun rising, observe the lake, hear the many types of water fowl singing and look for iguanas on the ground or tree branches warming themselves under the morning sun. I wanted to get up early because I knew my day would be full of precious moments. I wanted to store these moments up in a bottle to warm up cold nights that will inevitably come from time to time when we return home.
Three moments during this camping trip particularly touched my heart.
The Christmas lights at Jekyll Island were mesmerizing, the best I have ever seen. During the three nights we camped on the Island, we went out every night after dinner to see the lights. When it was cold, we would drive around the loop listening to the Christmas radio on Pandora while enjoying the lights and the pedestrians. When it was warmer, we would park and walk and take pictures. It literally felt like walking in the Christmas Village under the Christmas tree in our house, a German tradition from Roger’s family legacy that he continues to honor.
The whole Jekyll Island is only about 1.5 miles wide and 7 miles long, with 10 miles of beaches and 38 miles of paved bike paths. The compact nature of the Island also made it feel so cozy and manageable, which in turn had a strangely healing effect on me. The past year has been difficult with several significant losses. Yet somehow as I immerse myself in the Christmas atmosphere at Jekyll Island, I felt a comforting sense of softening and opening.
Life is full of unpredictable challenges just as is it full of beauty. A strong heart can hold both, accept both, and integrate both. We may feel out of control at times, but at least we can seize the moment when beautiful opportunities present themselves.
December 22, 2023 was the first full day we camped at John Prince Campground in Palm Beach County, Florida, the south most destination this year for our annual “snow bird” migration. It was a magical night.
We had just started our hot chocolates after a fulfilling dinner when the fireworks started. We soon learned that Lake Worth really loves fireworks. During the two short weeks there, we saw fireworks for the boat parade, for Christmas and for New Year, initiated by municipalities and private citizens. We hardly had time to release our excitement for the fireworks when the annual boat parade started on Lake Worth, along the shore of our campsite. We quickly claimed our spots on the bench located at the empty campsite next to us together with a family from a neighboring site. The excitement of the four young children was palpable, not only about the colorfully decorated boats floating in front of us, but also about the upcoming Christmas. The six-year old Rachel informed us that she just found out from Santa that she has been “mostly on the good side”, and therefore she was in high expectations of Santa’s rewards. It is so true that children make holidays.
After the boat parade, our spirits were so high that we decided to take a bike ride. As we were wondering whether it was too late, we heard and saw airplanes flying above head against the clear sky draped with light clouds. The planes flying by felt like an invitation to take a ride. Why not? The temperature was perfect. As I was riding my bike with my husband alongside, chatting lightheartedly, and feeling the gentle warm Florida wind on my skin, I thought to myself: what else can one ask for?
Our last day of the year 2023 was equally magical. It was a beautiful day weather wise: bright sunshine, comfortable temperature and light breeze. We took Sadie for a walk in the morning. As usual, she played with her sticky bones and coconuts. She enjoys ripping apart the fallen coconuts along the lake, probably a simulation of the hunting games her instinct knows so well. Her spirit was so high that day that she tore apart five coconuts! Sadie’s animal siblings were busy as well: butterflies and bees were working on the tiny flowers on the grass; many different kinds of water fowl were flying, landing and signing; iguanas were sunning themselves and jumping into the water immediately when they sensed danger.
Then we saw a float plane land and take off on the lake right in front of us, flying by right over our heads. There were two kayakers in the background on the lake. People were biking, walking, fishing. Weather makes such a big difference in the levels of activity in the campground. We have been through cold and rainy days when we wondered if anybody was around. But on December 31, 2023, it seemed like everyone was out enjoying the sunshine.
Then we ran into a couple who were full time RVers on the road that spent a lot of time fishing where we took Sadie for her walks. Roger had helped them jump start their car the night before. They offered their gratitude, then we exchanged our camping memories and war stories. It was so nice to be reminded of our cross country camping trip two years ago: Crater Lake, Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, the Pacific Coast, and many more. It was also enlightening to know the possibilities of other lifestyles. We learned that this couple were both in their early 50s. They took early retirement, had been full time RVers for two years, and loved every minute of it. I thought to myself: what would a “permanent” RV life look like?
We walked away feeling so nourished, from the sunshine, from the lively activities enabled by good weather and holiday time, and the genuine sense of connection with fellow travelers in life. The day proceeded beautifully after that: we had a quick lunch, a short nap, followed by a long bike ride along the 10 miles of paved trails around the park, and sunset beach play time with Miss Sadie chasing sticky bones in the ocean, topped off by milkshake at Roger’s favorite ice cream shop, fresh flowers to celebrate the new year, a delicious home cooked dinner, a very lively campfire that ended with chicken thighs and sweet potatoes roasting on the embers, and fireworks and champagne right at the midnight. As Roger and I stood outside our camper watching the fireworks exploding from all directions we could see, also reflected on the lake, I thought to myself: this is going to be a good year. My heart was full of love, faith and hope.
We had so many more memorable moments. Our second to last night at Coastal Georgia RV resort was marked with gentle rains falling on the camper roof that sounded like a song. We were expecting continued rain the next day, the last day of this camping trip. Yet we were blessed with bright sunshine, and warm weather in the 70s. We spent the day on St. Simon Island with another couple of fellow travelers we met at the campground, enjoying the ocean, the weather and the friendship.
Now we have been back home for a full week, fully landed and transitioned back to our “normal” life. These precious moments will continue to warm up the rest of the cold winter days, and beyond…
