New Year's Resolution Go to More Camping

I will tell you about an experience that happened to me the last year and why I want to go camping more next year.

We have a job that requires us to work abroad, far away from our family and friends, so we don't have a lot of time, and being away from people is really limiting and isolating. It's really important to share things...

About two months ago, in late October, my friends and I went to a camp.

It wasn't so cold then. We took our tents, loaded them in the back of our vehicles, and we took our necessary supplies. We didn't forget our folding table, folding chairs, materials for making a fire, light lanterns, materials for cooking... We prepared many of the materials necessary for camping, such as sleeping bags, and then loaded them into our vehicles and set off.

That's when I started to realize everything. Normally when I meet my friends at home, the TV is on in the back and the sound of the TV comes while we are having a conversation. Now one's attention is drawn to whatever TV series or movie is on. But if it's something good and watchable, it takes your attention away from the conversation and you start watching TV. Not to mention the news. It is not possible to have a meaningful conversation when the news is on.
I mean, to be honest, we were in the car and there was no TV. There was no radio on, just some music playing in the background. I think it was playing Aurora.

I'll leave you the link.

We chatted with my friends along the way. Let me remind you again that I haven't seen some of these friends for weeks and some for months because I have a job that requires me to work abroad. Because they have their own lives too.
It was during this conversation that I started to realize how much our lives were changing and how far we were drifting away from each other.

Then we found a beautiful green clearing under the trees to set up our camp. We prepared our tents and after cleaning the green grass, we pitched our tent there. Together with my friends, we collected firewood and chatted until the evening.
We talked about the developments in our lives, we talked about our new goals, the things we wanted to do.
I noticed that some of my friends' goals had changed. One of my friends who never wanted a boyfriend started to feel lonely when she realized that we all had boyfriends and serious relationships.
Another friend changed her goals and started to think less about material things. Another one decided to get married and so on.

I should add that although we already talk about these things on Whatsapp, it is completely different to have a powerful conversation face to face, going deeper into the reasons. So we realized how deep and complex the decisions that seemed simple to us, when we talked about them on Whatsapp, were actually when we talked face to face.

During the night we chatted around the campfire, had drinks, and barbecued. We enjoyed the food and there is really no feeling as different and satisfying as eating food while breathing the calming and peaceful air of the forest. I think it is much more beautiful and delicious to eat a simple barbecue with your friends in the forest instead of the best meal you eat in the best restaurant.
Both in touch with nature and chatting...

I was very impressed to realize how much our lives have changed with my friends. To be honest, not knowing about it too much affected me more because some of our friends had clearly made the wrong decisions. We had to talk for a couple of hours to convince them. We are a group that normally consults each other when making such decisions. Fortunately, we managed to solve the problem and now everybody is well and everybody is mentally healthy.

After this conversation, we started to pack our camping gear on the way home. There was a moment of silence.
There was no sound in the forest except the birds singing and a few buzzing insects.
At this moment, a very dear friend of mine said
''Friends. I feel so good. I don't feel this relaxed even at the psychologist. Let's go camping more.''

I was thinking the same thing and my other friends must have been thinking the same thing too because we said "I think so" almost in a chorus.

That's how important it is for a person to have conversations with friends, to go deeper into issues, and seek support. And our group can do that best in the camp. Our goal for this new year is to go to more camps.

I hope you liked what you read. Thank you for making this far!

This post is inspired by ''' The Ink Well Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompt #11: New Year''.