We spent the last four days at Grayland Beach State Park with some friends, old and new.  For the first time, we had to make camp in the rain – dislike.  And it POURED the whole night. LOUDLY.   Luckily by the middle of the next day, we got some dry time, enough to wander out to the beach with our chairs, trashy mags and cocktails.

Getting ready to go camping takes a lot of work and sometimes it’s stressful – the making time to get stuff done and bought and the loading of the car and sometimes the driving to get there.  But once we get there, I can feel the stress of everyday stuff melt away, reset.  Now it’s back to basics.  When and what to eat and drink, potty breaks, sleep. Repeat.

For some reason, this trip was especially stress-free – maybe it was being so close to the ocean.  Good group, kids having a great time, sans screened items even.  It makes me really happy to know that they will remember playing in the waves and the final night bonfire on the beach for a long time.  How they all got along and made up games only they knew the rules to.

I have some friends who “do not camp”.  Not sure why – lack of creature comforts? I enjoy a nice rental house as much as the next person, but I think when you camp you strip away that extra layer of civilization and get back to simple.

I need to figure out a way to get that simplicity in my everyday life.  It occurred to me that we rarely have cell phone service at campgrounds and I can’t update Facebook – dare I say that is why it’s so relaxing?!

For starters, I deleted TweetDeck from my phone.  That damn alert bird was driving me nuts. I rarely tweet, so why was I keeping it around?  I am playing around with Google + and may ease back on Facebook.  Gasp!

I really appreciate the zen kind of feeling I get while camping – it feels like floating.  And it’s not just the 10 am Greyhound. I get that same feeling when doing crafty things – so I need to make more of an effort in that area. Stop focusing so much on the everyday bullshit and more on everyday fun.  No reason we can’t make some good memories at home, too.

We head out for our annual trip to Spencer Spit on Lopez Island in about a month and the planning for that will start soon.  In the meantime, I need to get some itch cream for the fifty bug bites on my legs.  Should be an interesting fashion accessory at the two weddings I’ll be attending this weekend.