Camping can be one person’s dream vacation and the next person’s nightmare, but no matter what you think of it at the start, you are sure to learn some important lessons when you go on your first camping trip. When it’s done and your return to normal life, you’ll be in one of two minds; you won’t be able to wait to do it all over, or you’ll never want to look at a tent again. How you felt doesn’t really matter; it’s what you learned that’s important.
You Can Unplug
We’re all so desperately attached to our smartphones and the social media we can access within them that many of us can’t bear to be without our cells for more than a few hours – even minutes – at a time. This addiction is something that is fast growing across the western world. When you go camping, you’ll find yourself in an area that doesn’t have wifi for the most part, and even the signal strength might not be any good.
When we go camping, it’s necessary to literally unplug, and although that might be hard at the beginning, it becomes much easier by the end, and if you can carry this into your normal life, you’ll find you are better off for it. If you do have a signal while you’re away, just pretend that you don’t. Switch off the phone and only allocate yourself an hour a day to catch up on social media and emails. You’re on vacation; you need to act like you are.
You’ll Build Bonds
When you go camping with friends or family, you need to rely on one another. Your world will suddenly have reduced to just a handful of people, and it is these people who you need to be able to love and trust. So camping allows (and sometimes necessitates) bonds forming or strengthening. You’ll share tasks, for example; one person will start a fire while another goes to find water and someone else keeps the camp tidy. Living and working together in a team like this is a lesson that can definitely follow you and be to your advantage at home as well.
Nature Is Wonderful
If you’ve never really experienced everything that nature has to offer before you may feel it’s a bit frightening and unknown. There are lots of creatures, big and small, to think about, and the darkness that comes with camping is total and complete – there are no street lights or electric lamps to help you. However, once you get used to what is happening and understand nature a little more you will realize just how wonderful it really is, and how lucky we are to live in the world we live in.
You Don’t Need So Much Stuff
On your first camping trip, you will bring too much with you. You’ll pack clothes you never wear and equipment that the guy in the store recommended but that never actually comes out of its packaging for the duration of the trip (if that’s the case, don’t hesitate to take it back for a refund). When you think about it, this is a great metaphor for the rest of your life; you don’t need so much stuff. Maybe it’s time to have a clear out and feel fresher and more positive moving forward without holding on to all of those unnecessary items…
