dichotomous week, and a camping recap.

Home again, home again... at least for one day! Gwen and I enjoyed a lazy day at home today, while also packing and preparing to head to my Aunt and Uncle's place tomorrow for an overnight visit. We enjoyed sleeping in our own beds last night, and I think it will be even more enjoyable come Sunday night.

This week has held quite the variety already. From dressy dresses to camping gear. Hot days to cool balmy weather. Thankfully the cool stuff came while we were camping. I was a bit worried about camping in July, but it was gorgeous. 


Monday we headed up to Rickett's Glen State Park, the same place we went camping last year.

Our site was just one spot over from last year's.

We set up on Monday and just relaxed, ate dinner, had a low-key evening. Gwen was so excited to get into her sleeping bag that she told me she was tired and we should go to sleep around 6!! I held her off for an hour, but then she was in her bag... and so hopped up she didn't fall asleep for another hour. Goof. Thankfully, one asleep, she slept so much better this year then last.

Tuesday we had a good breakfast (we thought to bring some turkey bacon this time!), packed lunch, and were on the trails by 9am.

The trail we love is actually pretty intense, rated dangerous and most dangerous for much of the walk, but Gwen is a great hiker and that's why we have the Mei Tai!

She walked what she could and any parts that were too steep, slippery, narrow, etc she got worn for.

The walk is gorgeous and we all loved every bit of it.

We walked all the way to the bottom this year (5ish miles I think), then stopped for lunch and a rest before heading all the way back up. And I mean up... 1000 feet of elevation.

Definitely worth the work.

After that it was back to the site, then Gwen and I headed to the lake for a little dip. It was too cold to really swim, but we played in the sand for a while before heading back for dinner. We all slept well that night!!

Sunday we got up, ate some breakfast, got dressed, packed everything up and headed (in our car) to the bottom of the hill. We looked at another waterfall, but weren't up for a bit hike, so took it very easy. A pit stop at my Gram and Pop's old church to have a few memory moments, check out their grave, and we were off. I drove, Trav and Gwen slept! A pit stop for lunch, and we were back home by early afternoon.

Ironically: my day ended so very differently then it started. I got an email from one of the ladies from the yoga school I got to, asking if I could help in a last minute search for models for yoga clothes. I agreed, which is how I found myself hoping in the shower and running to Media at 4:30. Things got switched around a bit, but I found myself parading down one of Media's main streets modeling fair trade clothing for a few hours. Definitely an experience!! Dichotomy friends.

A few notes about camping before I run off to catch some zzz's:
- It is so refreshing to be so completely cut off. There is no reception at all in the campground area, or the rest of the park (save for maybe at the very bottom?), so I turn my phone off when I get there and don't turn it back on until we leave. I think we all need a break from technology like that.

- There is something so primal and wonderful about cooking your food on a fire, sleeping on the ground, and looking up into a sky full of so many 1000s of stars, which are invisible to you on a normal night. It was awe inspiring, humbling, and uplifting.

- I loved giving Gwen the chance to get dirty, wet, tangled, and be okay with it. I think she hears so much about washing her hands, cleaning up her messes, not spilling, etc. (which are good things in day to day life, don't get me wrong) that I love for her to not care about that for a few days. Be dirty, child! Be dirty, mama! 

- All of this to say that the simplicity of it all sort of made me want to run away to a cabin in the woods. It was a refreshing break from the think about 50 things at a time, what's next, keep moving pace of life lately. We literally lived in the moment, enjoying where we were and what we were doing then, taking care of needs as they arose. Again, so refreshing, rejuvenating, amazing. I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding for months.


Now to enjoy a few more days of relaxation before we have to get back to the grind. Hopefully I can hold on to this feeling for a while. Happy August all!