Birthday glamping trip, pt II

So we arrived at camp around 5 pm in this area loosely called Maricopa. It was just as isolated as I’d hoped - in the middle of dry, rolling hills, with no one else anywhere. My first thought was “we could run around naked!” and I do confess I went topless or bottomless a few times just because I could. It was indeed as advertised - water tank fitted with a bed and loft bed, picnic table, outhouse, and metal tub that we immediately filled with warm well water and jumped in as the evening came on. It was wild. 

Before the sun set we climbed up the hill nearest us and I got to do something I’ve always wanted to do ever since I moved here - walk along the top of these endless rolling hills just to see what’s up there. As it turned out, lots of giant bunnies with long ears (the term “jackalope” kept creeping into my mind), lizards, and other fascinating flora and fauna and incredible views. Next to some places I visited in Cambodia, I felt like I’d never been somewhere so remote and isolated. 

We cooked dinner and then had a rousing game of Uno, and thankfully slept in the tank without being interrupted by critters (I was worried about rats and scorpions and spiders, but nothing bothered us thankfully). By this morning we were enjoying it so much I was tempted to try to book one more night - what, indeed, do we have to come back for? - but we were out of food and drinks and clean clothes, and it was time to go. My heart stung a little bit. That’s a good sign - it’s a sign that something a little magical happened; that a place touched your heart. And this place did. I definitely would go back. 

And so we packed up and drove the two hours home. 

I am definitely fascinated by all these crazy independently owned camping spots and the creativity that goes into them. I got a lot of ideas for if I ever wanted to attempt something like this myself...but I do have hesitations. One, it seems like a massive financial commitment, more than I had thought. Also, it means being a landlord hundreds of times a year, and people are horrible. So, not a fan of that. But still...the idea lingers.

For our next adventure I am positively dying to take us out to stay at a Navajo-run eco space in Arizona I found - I think it would be incredible. But with the stoopit school year in the way I don’t know how we can pull it off - maybe Thanksgiving break, but it’ll be cold. The kids and I can hang, but I know dealing with cold is the BF’s cryptonite - so this may have to wait as long as spring break, which makes me want to cry. I wish I had a rough-and-tumble girlfriend I could escape with, but I don’t know anyone who would be willing to go quite that far into rough adventure as me. Oh well, it can wait. In the meantime I can painstakingly plot out an awesome trip for us and pull the trigger when we can actually go.

In the middle of all this, the BF and I celebrated five years together, and I turned 48. This is definitely the age I had feared when I was younger as that moment I might look back and so wish I had had children - here I am on the other side of this experience, experiencing option 2, life with children at 48. And it’s great. Sure, they complained a lot and were always too loud and rambunctious and Theo seemed to have forgotten how to wipe himself or hold his pee pretty much any time, but in the end I do these things as much for them as myself, and I’m relieved when I see how easily they put down the iPads and join us for a long sweaty hike or a card game, and both said their favorite part of the trip was when we played games together. 

Now we pack up to go camping with friends one last time next weekend and then it’s all-virtual event, all the time, plus school for the kids again, for August. My plan now is I’m going to happily return to my fasting diet and walks after this week of horrid food, and start buckling down for what may be the toughest fall and winter in US history.