We have a number of friends friends who spend the bulk of their summer driving their travel trailer to various locations and camping out. We have other friends who go even more basic and pitch tents (Heh) and cook over a fire and squat in the woods/facilities. I grew up doing both and it was great and wonderful and I have many fond memories. It's just not my bag anymore.
If you know me at all, then you know that I love the outdoors. I run (My first half marathon is in two weeks!), I hike, I bike, I go for walks, I ski. Being outside is one of my favorite places to be. I just don't want to sleep outside.
Here are the five reasons (I could give fifty) why going to a cabin is better that camping.
1. Toilets. Even my die-hard camping friends will tell me horror stories about squatting over a hole in the ground. No thank you. I am a lady. Sometimes.
2. Showers. I work out nearly every day. I have no problem getting dirty or working up a sweat. It feels amazing. So does a long, hot shower.
3. The food options. Because I run and work out, I like to eat. Because I don't want to put on unnecessary weight, I like to eat a lot of fresh vegetables, etc. The cooler only lasts so long. See also: Using an oven to roast/bake items other than hot dogs and s'mores.
4. The beds. You can tell me that you had a great sleep in your sleeping bag on the ground of your tent/the plywood mattress of your camping trailer and I will never believe you. Never ever. See also: You can shut your kids away in their own room so you can have some "grown-up time."
5. Room to breathe. Every trailer or tent I've been in is ... small and cramped. If it starts to rain, I like the fact that we don't have to huddle in a tiny space and breathe each other's air.
I am married to a man, and that man and I have three children. He works full-time at our church, which means that he works many more hours than he's paid for. It's the name of the game. I work full-time as well, between contract accounting jobs and contract writing jobs. I also volunteer at my kids' school, attend a Boot Camp three days a week, and run three other days of the week. Because I like to take a dare, I'm training for my first half-marathon.
One comment that I get almost every day is "I don't know how you do it all!" Here's my secret: I don't. There are a million articles online that tell you how you can "achieve balance" and how you can "do it all" and how you can "make everything happen."
Please read that last paragraph while doing actual air quotes, because I did so while typing it.
It's simply not possible. Complete balance may be impossible, but your life doesn't have to be as chaotic as it could be.
Step One: Realize that your life will never be balanced or calm or easy. It's the truth, and it's quite freeing to admit it.
Step Two: Learn to say no. The more I do so with reasons why, the more I hear from people that they appreciate my honesty and the fact that I set a boundary.
Step Three: Wait until October. September is when everything starts again. School activities barf into your calendar. Our church doesn't start the kids' activities until October and we don't sign our kids up for extra-curricular activities in September unless we absolutely have to.
Step Four: Meal plan. Spending fifteen minutes to plan out your week saves you many hours of stopping at the grocery store, hundreds (I'm not kidding) of dollars, and buckets of stress.
Step Five: Check out once in a while. Drop the balls you're juggling, spend time recharging, and give zero [insert curse word here] cares about everything. You will never be caught up, life will never slow down, and your To Do list will keep on, keeping on. Just walk away. Your sanity needs it.
Anything I missed, lovelies?
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