It's camping season again...

I wake up this morning to an empty bed, Jude's side of the bed cold and unslept in. The house is all quiet and I don't hear him anywhere. I go downstairs to check since he sometimes falls asleep on our couch after working late into the night, and what do I find? Not only is he sleeping on the couch, he's sleeping on the couch in our new sleeping bag from REI.

I think this is his idea of breaking in the new equipment. It's a really comfy goose-down sleeping bag too so it's not like its a chore or anything. Testimony to that? He's still asleep as we speak... :) We spent the most of yesterday shopping for camping stuff- an extra sleeping bag, inflatable sleeping pads, lantern, gas stove, etc... We haven't really decided where we're going yet, but it's a toss-up between the Red River Gorge in Kentucky or the Sleeping Bear Dunes up north here. We were in RRG with Adrien, Pam & Olivier last summer to rock-climb but this time it'll be more hiking and we're going with Rick, Emilee and their new puppy Kumo! Jude's been to the dunes and he says it's gorgeous and so much like Australia. I'm actually really looking forward to that. Considering how much we're investing in the camping equipment and how much time we have, I think we'd like to do both places, one in early June after New York, and another later in August just before term begins.

Those who know me and love me dearly know too that I've never been an outdoorsy person (I'm sorry, the most outdoorsy things I used to do in Singapore were picnics, which were perfect- out in the sunshine and involving food. Anything that requires me to give up a real bed and a warm shower everyday... not so much...) But here, the natural landscape can be truly breathtaking. Just the shrubs and trees lining our streets have been turning these insane rosy spring colors, and the different shades of verdant green everywhere. Can you imagine the cliffs and dunes in a less cultivated environment? Crazy gorgeous!! Definitely worth sacrificing my bed and personal comfort for. Besides, that's what the comfy down sleeping bag is for!... :)