A Gateway to Awesome

My parents took my sister and me on a trip to the St. Louis Missouri in summer of 2006 I believe, here’s why it was great and what a kid (like myself at the time) can learn from this kind of trip.

We saw a local Zoo, a unique museum as well as the Gateway Arch.

But in this post, I want to touch on the experience of camping. My family was fortunate enough to have a small camper when my sister and I were very young. A little later on my parents found a pop-up camper, and we took many trips with both, and in between a few tent trips.

On our trip to Saint Louis, we took our camper. It wasn’t the first time, in fact, I think it was one our last trips before we sold it (not because we didn’t enjoy our experiences). But the lessons and experience were still there like other times.

As a kid camping taught me a lot about patience and working with my family to help make trips happen, and make them happen as smoothly as possible.

We all had to pack for camping, essentially. Bringing even our beds, kitchen, and living room so-to-speak with us, behind our SUV. We worked together to prepare meals on the trip and keep our camper clean.

As a kid what I learned from camper camping was that you can find unique places to bring a little bit of home too. I also learned that staying in the fanciest hotels doesn’t always bring the most fun (though sometimes it can). Camping brings a different kind of fun. A kind that should by no means be diminished, and instead should be appreciated. From cooking on a campfire to enjoying the woods and beach near your campsite to staying up a little too late because it’s so soothing to hear the rain on the roof.

Even if you never camped as a kid I’d encourage you to try it, many places offer rental gear if you want to try before you buy. Have some adventures!