The Great Outdoors

Last weekend Brian and I went camping with our friends Nick and Kelly at a KOA Kampground site in LaSalle/Peru, Illinois (we hiked at Starved Rock). I'm not really the outdoorsy type. In fact, anyone who heard we were going was shocked. A friend of mine texted me: "Is camping code for a cruise?" When I explained the weekend, he said, "I hope it ends soon." I'm a city girl inside and out.

We borrowed many of our supplies from Brian's family, and coupled them with the materials Nick and Kelly have collected over the years. My family has never been camping, and even though my friend Emily took me every year for eight years when I first moved to the U.S., I was unprepared.

It was a wonderful weekend, though (maybe because there was plumbing with clean toilets and showers? Maybe?). A relaxing weekend. The nights were cold, and I felt helpless while the rest of the group pitched our tent, cooked our meals, lit our lanterns, prepared for the day's hikes, but it felt so good to be outside and the gang successfully made this city girl a happy camper. Seriously, I'm ready for the next trip!

I don't think any of us can recommend this Walmart carrot cake enough. Or the sparklers. And this birthday had a lot of sparklers.

Eating one of these before/after/as every meal? Worth every shiver at night.