* This is a collaborative post
When was the last time you went somewhere a bit more wild and rural than usual, and camped for a few days? When was the last time you let your sleep and waking times fall into sync with the natural cycle of night and day?
There are a lot of positive things about the modern world, and about living in a home. Aside from the obvious, life-saving things like modern medicine, we have such luxuries as electric underfloor heating to keep us cosy during even the fiercest winter, not to mention an infinite portal to new knowledge and communication in the form of the internet.
But sometimes we just need to reconnect with mother nature, and let our usual stresses and irritations wash away.
Here are some relaxing things to do on a camping trip.
Catching up on your reading
Most of us don’t really read enough, even by our own standards. We know we should really get through that novel we’re had sitting around for a while, or buy that new, interesting self-development book we’ve heard so much about, but we just don’t have the time.
In truth, a lack of time may be one part of the problem, but another, perhaps larger part, is that we’re simply too distracted by more “exciting” stuff. Netflix and Youtube certainly come to mind.
When camping, on the other hand, you should have left your digital devices at home (or at least turned them off for the duration), in which case you’ll now find yourself much more willing to enjoy a mellow activity such as reading.
Depending on the length of your camping trip, pack one or several good books and let your lazy mid-mornings be spent getting lost in fantastic worlds formed in your own imagination, or else learning something new.
Doing some journaling
It can be difficult to really get in touch with our feelings, desires, hopes and fears on a daily basis. Things are often just too chaotic, and we’re too caught up with the requirements of the now to really dedicate much attention to the kind of introspection needed to give these subjects their due.
Starting a journal can be a great way of getting in touch with your inner “you” and learning about what makes you tick, but it can also be a great way of recording your daily experiences so that you can look back on them years later and smile or wince by turns.
A camping trip is a perfect time to start journaling. Simply begin by writing what you did that day, or the day before.
Playing some board games with friends and family
Entertainment in the 21st Century often comes down to watching things on a screen. Getting out the board games and competing against our friends and family in analogue space is a brilliant way of shaking things up, having fun with those who hold most dear, and letting your imagination do some work.
Next time you’re going camping with your partner, kids, parents, or friends, why not pack some games like Monopoly, Catan, Risk, and a deck of playing cards for good measure.
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