5 Things to Remember When Camping

With no money to visit NYC, LA or Disneyland as a limited-means International Student, I jumped upon a college-funded service learning opportunity: camping in the heart of America .  The only trouble was I had never heard of South Dakota nor the Lakota tribe amidst who I was supposed to camp for the next six weeks.

5 Things I Learned to Remember When Camping:

1. Do pick an unconventional setting for your camping adventures– Being a summer camp counselor for Lakota teenagers introduced me to a new set of cultural values as well as a different way of living.  Making/eating Native American fried bread for lunch and enacting plays inspired by the Lakota tribal tales at the local pow-wow were few of the most enriching parts of the adventure.
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3. Be prepared to sleep anywhere you can– It could be picnic tables one night because fire ants decided to take over the tepee grounds, or the cold cemented floors of the storm shelter while dry lightning ravaged the midlands.
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5. Find imaginative places to…ahem…groom– While bathing in the lake, you want to get the attention of the cute, blonde counselor with your neon pink bathing suit, not while shaving those pesky underarms.
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7. Give up one fear at a time– Growing up in the interior of India, I could get away with not learning how to swim. It can be a treat to learn new tricks especially in a surreal and beautiful setting with a little help from others; in my case, the kids and the above-referenced blonde counselor.
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9. Be ready to marvel and explore– Worrying about the usual discomforts that are inherent in camping over the rare discoveries you can make about yourself and your environment can determine your character and approach to life.  So make the most while you are opportune enough to escape from civilization.

I hope my 5 things to remember when camping will help you out the next time you go camping. Just make the most of it!

Author: Akanksha Gupta

Edited By: CampTrip.com

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