Moon Walking

Growing up, my family never went camping. My brother and I would “camp” in our backyard for the afternoon, coloring or playing, in our tent in the front yard. Sometimes my brother and I would camp in our living room, which turned into a brief attempt to sleep in the tent at night.

Fast-forward to 15 years later, here I am getting ready to embark on my first camping trip. I was eager. My boyfriend’s sister had prepared a list of items necessary for the journey ahead. I would be camping alongside my boyfriend and his mom for the weekend along with family friends from from church. Our caravan would be headed down to Turkey Run State Park in Indiana. We embarked on our journey at 9am and jogged our way through the states to our destination. Upon arriving at the park, we checked in and arrive at our campground in the midst of running to be a rainstorm. I, at first, reluctantly, switched my phone to airplane mode in hopes of preserving my battery. We quickly set up our shelters before settling in at a campfire. After the campfire, the families returned to their campsites for a full nights rest before we embarked on our hiking journey.

The night rain had left a haze on the campsite and a cool breeze. The temperature was set to hit around 85. Our crew decided to embark on our hike around 10, in hopes of beating the day’s heat. We set out in hopes of completing a 1.5 mile hike. The views were breath taking, unlike anything I had seen before. Our group climbed across a suspension bridge, climbed up slippery waterfalls, and descended down old-rugged ladders. 4 hours away, and I felt like I was a world away. While on the hike, I vowed to enjoy the sights with my eyes, and not through the lens of my camera. 5 hours and a 3 mile hike later, our group retired to our campsites and the bathhouses to wash up for dinner before another storm threatened our night plans of a fire.

The rain threatened the tent with its infiltration. We awoke to wet tents and blankets. We began to break down camp when another rainstorm rolled in. My boyfriend’s mom and I worked on breaking down the inside of the tent while my boyfriend modeled his rain wear, walking on the moon(or grass). 

Moon Walkin'

After tents were broken down and goodbyes we said, we all loaded back in our cars and headed towards reality. I waited to switch my phone back on. It was nice to get off the grid for a couple days, enjoy the company of nature and the individuals around me. I dream of next year to walk the same paths and have a freeing experience among nature.