By Jae-Ha Kim
jaehakim.com
September 25, 2013
See this picture here? It’s from the first time I went camping.
I know what you’re thinking: “But Jae, you don’t seem like the camping type.”
I’m not. But at the time, I was dating a great guy and he loved camping. How great of a guy was he? So great that I passed up the opportunity to fly to Los Angeles to interview Keanu Reeves.
So, we camped. And, while I loved the company, I pretty much hated the actual camping part. I know some people love it and enjoy getting back to nature. Nature can bite me. And it does. There’s not enough insect repellent to keep away all the mosquitoes, gnats and chiggers that love to feast on my blood.
The second and last time I went camping was a few years ago at a dear friend’s farm. Every year, she and her husband host a group of friends and neighbors to camp at their place. The kids go to an apple orchard. There’s a cookout, followed by drinking beers around a firepit (for the adults, not the children) and then sleeping in tents under the stars.
Did I make it sound like fun? It is. If you’re a kid and/or you like camping. We all know where I stand on this.
My friends love me and are amused by my aversion to camping. So, it has become somewhat of a joke — and they’re trying to think of ways to entice me to camp. At this year’s outing (that I didn’t go to), there was some good natured ribbing that I had invented a Korean holiday to get out of camping. (I know this, because the good natured ribbers told me. 😛)
Oh ye of little faith. This photo’s for you doubters:
I love my friends, but I love my family (and Korean food) more.
But, honestly, I hate camping so much that even if there wasn’t Korean food involved, I’d skip it.
Now, that great guy I mentioned early on in this post? I married him. And he loves camping. My guess is that our son will love it, too. I look forward to them taking many trips together and enjoying nature and cookouts and bonfires and all that buggy stuff. But, without me. Trust me on this. Everyone will have more fun that way.
Me? I’ll be somewhere else, enjoying not camping, thank you very much.
What’s your view on camping? Love it? Hate it? Talk to me in the comments section below.
©2013 JAE-HA KIM | All Rights Reserved
I always wonder why people try to get others to do things they don’t want to do. For instance, I love camping and always have and look forward to taking my family hiking and camping every year. My younger brother hates it. So I offer to take his kids. They love it. He gets a break. And then he owes me one. 😉 It’s win-win as far as I’m concerned.
Maybe misery loves company and they all secretly hate camping too and want Jae to suffer with them! LOL!!!
Steven, I hearby appoint you to be my camping surrogate.
Sandy, no, I think they just think I’m all that and miss me when I’m not around. 😉 Ha ha!
Our family loves camping! My side went all the time growing up but my husband’s never did yet we really enjoy it. We always eat Korean food when we camp. Some boolgogi over the open fire, rice cooked on site and pre-prepared sides make an easy and delicious meal!
Ooooh, that makes camping sound almost bearable. Until I have to use the bathroom. Dig a ditch, you say? Where’s the fun in that. 🙂
I dated a girl that loved camping out. I called it Naperville style. two beanbag chairs on the floor with fondue pots, a bottle of wine in front of the fireplace in the living room with the moon peeking through the clear skylights.
That’s the kind of camping we did when our son was a toddler. Minus the fondue pots, wine, bean bag chairs and fireplace. We did have a tent and sleeping bags and a big ol’ LED TV, though.
Died you at least build the tunnel by covering the space betweenthe coffee table and couch?
Pshaw. But of course!
You guys are all cool!! My current girlfriend won’t let me do that. She even has a coffee table with four glass plates and those could be skylights!
Would you, could you guys adopt me?? puhleeeeeze????
I am with you 100%. I had a boyfriend who made me camp on a few Greek islands in August about 10 years ago. August. In Greece. In a tent.
Oh my goodness. I hope you dumped him immediately! 😉
Wow! You gave up Keanu Reeves?!!! I have never gone camping and have zero desire whatsoever!!!
Smart girl!
Food looks absolutely delicious
All the credit goes to my mother, and my sister in law!
I abhor going to a cafe whose bathroom isn’t clean. I’d rather be late than leave the house unwashed. I obsessively clean my friend’s bathroom. So.. yeah. You can deduce my opinion on camping.
Right there with you, sister! Except the part about cleaning a friend’s bathroom. Friendship only goes so far… 😉
My philosophy on travel: Unless there’s access to 24-hour room service, I stay home.
Yup! We share that philosophy.
Started camping again with my son and his scout troop. Grew up camping, but never really enjoyed it that much as an adult. Rules to have fun: 1st: Buy big! Get a big tent, one that you can put a comfortable chair in and sit to read a book if the weather is unpleasant. Buy an XL sleeping bag and a 6″ air bed. Buy a propane heater for nights that get down below freezing. Buy the XL folding chair to put into your big tent! 2nd: Go with a group who loves to cook. The dads in this troop like to try to out do each other in their culinary masterpieces. slow smoked pork loin, tenderloin cooked with sausage and beans in a dutch oven all day, thick steaks with camping potatoes. 3rd: Bring a good book. We are used to being entertained at the push of a button. Reading helps to take your mind off of how annoying it was to heat water to wash the dishes and gets you to a quiet spot where you suddenly notice the sounds all around you. 4th: Go to bed early. Why? because you WILL wake up early, like 5-6 am early.
Tom, I’m all good and fine with the cookout/smores part. But what goes in, must come out…
You are so creative..thx for the tip because I hate camping too. I vote for Nationaler Schnitzelfeiertag.
That sounds like an awesome idea! I’ll work on memorizing the spelling for next year! 🙂
Ha! I love that picture of you in the tent! 🙂 And oy! Passing up the chance to interview Keanu Reeves! But you married a great guy! My dad used to take us camping every single summer and I haaaated it. I hate bugs and sleeping in sleeping bags that felt damp in the morning grossed me out. I was also in Girl Scouts and so another part of summer meant spending time at summer camp.. with bugs.. and damp sleeping bags (but as I got older I got to actually work as a kitchen staff – lol – and sleep in the nice cabins..). It’s funny because I used to hate it when I was younger but I kind of miss it now. I kept bugging my husband to go camping.. but .. as long as it’s not in a camp. Sleeping inside cabins count as camping… no? 🙂
Absolutely it counts! As far as I’m concerned, sleeping in a Holiday Inn counts as camping, too.
You know I had to read about what happened to the guy you gave up Keanu Reeves for! 🙂 Yay for Denton!
I made the right choice! 😉
Camping (with a case of beer) rules!
Camping is the worst!