Tag: camping

My First Time Camping

Daily writing prompt
Have you ever been camping?
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My first time camping was in college. I had gone with a friend of mine to Illinois Yearly Meeting (an annual meeting of Friends, or Quakers). Lodging at the Meetinghouse was primitive, rustic two-person dorm rooms. My friend Joan and I decided we would camp in the camping space across the road from the Meetinghouse.

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Joan and I put up the tent (not a fancy one like we have nowadays) and we spent the day in activities. The tent was still standing by bedtime, which was a good sign. When we settled in, with our belongings tucked around us, it was a crowded time in the tent and we were tired. Not too tired to notice that my head lay on a tree root.

It stormed all night. Illinois thunderstorms are particularly resonant, so I couldn’t sleep very well. I finally fell asleep after the storm quit. Scant hours later, I woke at dawn, and noticed my air mattress was … floating.

“Joan?”

“Mrrph.” Joan was not a morning person.

“Joan? I think the tent flooded.”

Joan jumped up, and we assessed the state of the tent. Yes, it had flooded at one end, as had the entire campground. We were surrounded by dismayed people noticing that they, too, had taken water in their tents.

Joan and I did the only thing we could — we busted up laughing. We sorted out our clothing (mostly dry) and hung our tent and sleeping bags in the tree to dry. Needless to say, we slept in the dorms that night.

That was my first time camping. The fact that I’ve camped more than once is a testimony to my perseverence. Or my short memory. One of those two.

My Dream Writing Spots

As a writer

When I write, I can’t write in a vacuum. I need to watch people, study people and their body language and their behavior, study surroundings, listen to background music and snippets of conversation among the murmurs.

I also need an interesting space. Neither too edgy nor too

Therefore, I dream of interesting spaces where all of the above happens, yet in a way that doesn’t intrude into my thought processes.

Dreams fulfilled

Some of these ideal writing places I have already encountered — the lobby of The Elms Hotel in Excelsior Springs, MO; the Great Hall at Starved Rock State Park in Utica, IL; Behind the fireplace at Lied Lodge in Nebraska City, NE; various cafe’s across the US. All these places have the intoxicating combination of vital people and intriguing space. I could go back to any of those today if I had the money and time.

Dreams that might be beyond my grasp

One place I’d love to write is in a Class-C RV at Mozingo Lake (Maryville MO) for a summer retreat. As I don’t own a camper, this might be a bit challenging. Also challenging is their spotty wi-fi, but it might be good enough to hook in now and again. A cabin for the summer might also be good, but I don’t know where one could get a hold of one for a less than prohibitive cost.

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Another dream would be riding/writing on Amtrak (or better, some Canadian railway) for a spell. I would have a sleeper car, I would get meals in the dining car, and I would document my trip in the observation car (west of the Mississippi) with computer in lap. Unless I can get a writer in residence through Amtrak, I would not been able to afford that. (And I’ve tried.)

Help me out here!

I’m looking for writing retreats — coffeehouses; inns and B and B’s with open spaces or lobbies; yurts for rent; cabins with scenery; known writers’ retreats. Recommend something to me!