I AM NOT OUTDOORSY. I dislike the heat, and I hate mosquitoes. Mr. Nacho 100% loves the outdoors. He grew up camping, fishing, gardening, all those types of things. His dream before he met me was to be self-sufficient in the woods in the middle of nowhere (I have since apologized for ruining his life plans). When he suggested we go camping, I was hesitant, but open to it. Partially because I knew the “outdoors” was supposed to help with stress, but also because I knew he loved camping and I wanted to share in something he loves. He made the experience really easy for me.
These things he did really demonstrated how much he wanted me to enjoy my time outdoors (which I appreciated so much). By not having to worry about so much prep to go camping, it gave me a chance to focus on the beauty of the outdoors, relaxing, and spending time with him.
Camping is more fun with company. Especially company that helps collect firewood.
- Mr. Nacho
1. He stocked up on all my favorite snacks
Mr. Nacho knows I get cranky when I’m hungry. A tasty, savory snack often saves the day. He packed many of my favorite snacks and made them accessible both while on the drive there and at the campsite.
2. Incorporated beautiful views
He chose a beautiful Fall weekend where the leaves had started to change colors. It was cool (i.e., NO BUGS), but the views were gorgeous. I know not every location will have an opportunity for exceptionally pretty views, but if it’s possible, I’d go for it!
On the way to one of his favorite camping spots, we took the scenic route to get there by driving the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stopped at various lookout points along the way and it was really beautiful and memorable. At the end of our camping trip we also stopped for a quick easy hike nearby and saw even more beautiful autumn colors.
3. Started the campfire as soon as I got there
It’s a great time to go camping when it’s cool enough where there are minimal bugs. But that also means, it’s cool enough to get cold! It helped that the very first thing he did was start the fire. This allowed me to have a snack and relax by the warmth of the fire as he continued to set up everything else. I kept myself occupied (and made myself feel useful) by wandering around gathering sticks for Mr. Nacho to burn.
4. Brought a large, spacious camping tent
He set up a 6-person tent even though it was just the two of us. A 6-person tent means more space to keep our things, and more space to stand and move around. He was nice enough to set up and take down the tent all by himself too! 🙂
5. Created a cozy environment
He made our sleeping area so CUTE and COZY. Some of the things he did:
- On the floor of the tent he laid out a fun-patterned rug
- Set up a double air mattress (so we didn’t sleep in just sleeping bags on the floor)
- Hung up cute string lights inside the tent
- He brought and filled up hot water bottle heating pads to store inside our sleeping bags to warm up the space before bed. Enamel coffee pots like this one are good because the lid makes it boil faster and the pour spout makes it easy to pour in hot water. Mr. Nacho just bought the cheapest one available
The lights and rug made the space really cute and cozy, and these water bottle heating pads helped us stay warm! When we went on our honeymoon safari in Tanzania they would often put these hot water pads in beds and under blankets for early morning game drives. They stay hot for a really long time.
6. Cooked the meals (and enjoyed s’mores)
Mr. Nacho covered the grocery shopping, packing, prepping, cooking, and cleaning up for all our meals (including the s’mores!). I don’t know how to start a fire, and I’m also not the best cook. So he made it really easy!
Night 1 we had a simple chicken, onions, and veggies with s’mores afterwards.
For breakfast the next morning we had eggs and sausage in a cast iron pan, and coffee.
7. Ultimately, find and appreciate the small details
This is probably more on me than on him, but it still seems important. For me, there’s always something to be in awe of. Awe to me is being present, with a feeling of respect and admiration. It can be small things like the way Mr. Nacho holds my hand, or the way a honey bee’s legs dangle as they fly. No matter where you are, camping or not, there will always be small wonders to appreciate. I find them in unique rocks, how the trees sway, new blooms, etc. We luckily got to camp close to a stream and we found small crustaceans and fish to watch! Noticing the smallest things around me certainly helped camping become more bearable enjoyable.
I won’t discount other small things Mr. Nacho did that helped. Unpacking and packing most of the car :). Also making sure I had easy access to a flashlight or jacket in the tent in case I needed to use the bathroom in the middle of the night.
While I’m nowhere close to saying “I LOVE CAMPING”, my experience did make me open to going again despite the dirt, bugs, (and hiking). Heck, I DID go camping a second and third time at our new mountainside property. I’m slowly starting to love the outdoors more and more, but it could also very well be that it was the company that made it all worthwhile.
