Home sweet camper

Yesterday afternoon we returned home after "surviving" a 12 day camping excursion. We survived 12 nights in the "wilderness", managed to tame and feed "wild" animals, swim in the turbulent depths of a raging "pool", survive tests of skill, endurance and coordination, keep the night at bay with a campfire and, sleept well... within a climate controlled 31 foot travel trailer. A non-brutal and less than survival skills challenge at a modern Minnesota campground...

We fed "wild" animals....

Ravenously hungry animals

And tamed some of them...

Wilderness transportation...?

...overcame local cultural challenges and tests of skill (Bingo!)...

Local proving grounds at Candy Bar Bingo

...navigated wild pools...

Waves and lots of shouting...

...and slept well despite roughing it at the campsite.

A warm campfire is hard to beat!

In some ways, I think that owning a camper and owning a cruising boat have some similarities. With experience on the former and none on the latter, from what I've read via various blogs and via YouTube videos, these seem to be some commonalities:

• There is always a list of things to fix
• Travel can be easy or hazardous, depending on the weather
• Water, no matter in what form, will find its way in
• Planning what to bring and what not to bring is a fine art
• Things break
• Things get repaired
• The experience is the real adventure.

Don't get me wrong. I realize that traveling on land in a large pickup truck hauling an even larger, thinly constructed aluminum tiny house is not completely synonymous to living aboard a cruising sailboat. But the experience is a real adventure that for over 10 years has been enjoyed by the two of us and our children. I look forward to future adventures in other climates and aboard a different and equally challenging and enjoyable method of transportation.