Gravel crunches under the tires of our SUV. A sound that reminds me of radio static. I could almost let myself fall asleep if it wasn't for the random lurching and bumps that jostle me in my seat.
My husband wanted me to come along for this camping trip, despite my disinterest. I'm simply not much of an outdoors person. I'm a lifelong computer geek and work as a software developer, but despite all the time I spend working on a computer, I usually want nothing more than to spend my free time doing the same thing. Working on passion projects or playing games is my idea of leisure.
All that is to say, when my husband's friends have invited us camping before, I had always insisted that he go by himself. I had the same reaction this time, but he asked if I would reconsider. He said it would be different than how they usually camped because this site has nice amenities. So, I reluctantly agreed to try something new.
I've been trying to keep an open mind, but each step of the way has made me more concerned about how uncomfortable this is going to be. Sleeping in a tent already sounds bad enough, but when I saw the thin pad that goes under the sleeping bags, I knew I had made a mistake. Then, just a few minutes ago, as we drove deeper into the forest, I suddenly realized with horror that I no longer had cell signal. I figured I would have an internet connection out here, so I didn't even think to bring a book.
"Are you sure there won't be bugs?" I ask while watching the trees pass by my window.
"Trust me, babe. There won't be bugs when it's cool out like this. The bugs are only a problem when it's warm."
I hope he is right. I hate bugs.
As we creep around a bend in the road, we get our first glimpse of the camp grounds. The road splits into two directions, with a grassy clearing in between. There is a small concrete block building and several water spigots mounted on wooden posts.
"That's the showers and bathroom," he says.
"That?" I ask incredulously.
"Yeah," he responds. "That is what makes this different than primitive camp sites. There is running water and everything. It's even heated."
It's heated? I had never considered that it wouldn't be heated. Who in their right mind would want to go get dirty in the woods and not even be able to take a hot shower after?
He turns at the fork in the road, and we pass by a couple tents, each one set up in its own small clearing among the trees. A few people can be seen setting up their gear or relaxing in chairs. Soon we come upon another fork in the road. This time, he comes to a complete stop and peers out through the windshield.
"I think our spot is right around here," he says.
I look around. There is not much to see, other than a few more unoccupied clearings, but then as we resume driving forward, I suddenly see a bright blue tent. This one is erected in a larger plot, but there is no car parked nearby and no human activity to speak of.
"There is nobody here," I say.
"They must have gone to buy firewood," he replies as he maneuvers our vehicle onto the edge of the camp site.
I get out and take a moment to stretch. My muscles feel tight after having spent the whole afternoon riding in the car, and it feels good to finally move around again.
There is not much of a view, just dense trees in every direction, but what is striking is how quiet it is. Without any wind, the world seems totally still, and the only sounds I can hear come from other camp sites out of view.
"This is really peaceful," I say, trying to convince myself that I am not going to hate every aspect of this experience.
"Yeah, it is," my husband agrees. He comes to stand beside me and we gaze up at the unmoving trees looming above us.
After basking in the stillness for a few moments, he breaks the silence. "Let's start setting up!" he says eagerly.
"Okay," I reply uncertainly. I have no idea how to set up a tent or any other kind of camping gear for that matter.
He opens the hatch of our small SUV and starts pulling out various objects, most of which are wrapped in solid colored synthetic fabric sleeves. Two such objects I recognize as camping chairs, so I pull those out and bring them over to the fire pit near the center of the clearing. They easily unfold and I position them a few feet apart, facing toward the unlit fire pit.
"That's too close," he says while unpacking what I assume to be tent poles.
"Oh," I reply. I slide the chairs away from the fire pit. They end up sitting slightly further apart from each other than when I had initially placed them.
"What now?" I ask.
"I've got this. Why don't you just relax?"
"Okay." I take a seat in one of the chairs, facing away from where my husband is erecting our tent. I stare off into the forest. The only sound I hear is the rustle of fabric and the clinking of tent poles.
Maybe this won't be so bad. Relaxing by a fire seems like it would be cozy.
I briefly imagine how the protagonists of a fantasy RPG would sit by a fire after a long day of defeating enemies.
My daydreaming is interrupted when a white pickup truck comes slowly up the trail and parks next to us. I can't see through the tinted windows, but I assume this must be Chris and Juliette, so I give a friendly wave as they come to a stop. The engine stops and three doors of the truck are swung open in unison.
"Hey guys!" Juliette calls out as she climbs out of the driver's seat.
I stand up and join my husband to greet them. Chris and Juliette are my husband's friends, and I've met them before at various social gatherings. They're nice, but they've always seemed kind of boring to me.
Chris works in IT for a bank, but despite being very outgoing and working in the same industry as me, he and I have never had anything more than a superficial conversation. I get the feeling that he is the kind of guy that gets into IT for the money and doesn't have much interest in it.
Juliette is similarly outgoing, but because her interests revolve entirely around outdoor activities, like running, hiking, and whatnot, I haven't had much to talk with her about either.
Surprisingly, there is a third person with them. Climbing out of the back seat is a man who looks to be in his mid-twenties, a few years younger than the rest of us. He sheepishly greets us.
He is quite handsome, isn't he?
"This is my co-worker, Paul." Chris introduces him.
My husband and I take turns shaking Paul's hand and exchanging pleasantries. He explains that his car is not up to the task of going "off road", so he left it parked in town and had Chris and Juliette pick him up.
"This is a nice, big site," my husband says to Chris.
"Yeah, it's cool being able to set up together like this. We will have to get Paul set up the site down the road, though."
"I'm going to be lonely all by myself," Paul jokes.
"At least you won't have to listen to Chris's snoring!" Juliette says, eliciting a mixture of genuine and forced laughter.
"Well, why don't we go get your tent set up now before it gets dark? It's pretty straightforward," Chris says to Paul. Nodding in agreement, Paul begins pulling bags out of their vehicle before he and Chris walk to the camp site next to ours. The barrier between the camp sites is only a few feet of trees and brush, but it's enough to hide them from view as they round the corner.
I return to relaxing in my folding chair while my husband and Juliette chat mindlessly. He helps her pull a big cooler out of the bed of their truck, and then they drag it over to near where I'm sitting.
"Want a beer?" he asks me.
"Sure."
He pulls three cans of beer from the cooler, hands one to Juliette, and one to me.
"Thanks," I say. The beer has chips of ice stuck to it, and it's uncomfortably cold in my hand. I carefully open it and take a sip before placing it in the cup holder sewn into my chair's arm rest.
They join me in sitting beside the unlit fire pit, and we continue chatting and drinking. The sun is starting to get low in the sky. I feel a chill run through my body. I'm not sure if the temperature is already dropping or if it's just the effect of drinking an ice-cold beer.
When Chris and Paul return, my husband offers them each a beer. They are both happy to oblige, and after cracking open their drinks they begin chatting about their plans for tomorrow.
Juliette mentions going for an early morning hike to watch the sun rise from some nearby vantage point. Chris and my husband both agree that it is a great idea, but Paul declines saying he will likely sleep in. I don't commit to anything, but I think Paul has the right idea. I've never been a morning person, so waking up before sunrise to go hike a trail sounds like an awful idea.
"Hey, why don't we get the fire going?" Juliette suggests. "I'm getting cold already."
"Alright!" Chris agrees, and he starts arranging some wood in the pit.
"I'm going to use the bathroom," I announce to no one in particular. I get up and start walking toward the path.
"You know where it is?" my husband calls out to me.
"That building we passed on the way, right?" I respond.
"Yep, that's it."
"Actually, I've got to go as well. I'll walk with you," Paul says, rising from his seat.
He jogs to catch up to me, and then we start making our way down the unpaved road.
"So, do you guys usually do stuff like this?" he asks me.
"I've never done anything like this," I reply. "My husband has gone with them a few times, but it never interested me. I'm not really an outdoors-y person."
Paul laughs. "I'm glad I'm not the only one. I went camping a couple of times as a kid, but back then I would rather have been playing video games."
"Yeah, for sure. It's nice to try something new, but I want to be comfortable too."
"Agreed."
As we round a bend in the path, we see the blocky, concrete building.
"That's it," I say. "It doesn't look like much, does it?"
"Not at all," he replies. "Do you know if there is a shower?"
"Yeah. Allegedly it even has hot water."
"Wow, fancy."
"I guess," I say with a laugh.
We both walk inside. The first room we enter has a wooden bench in the center and a row of sinks mounted along one wall. Opposite that are entrances to the gendered toilets, and on the back wall are two doors. Between the two doors is a plaque that reads "Shower."
"I wonder what the showers look like," Paul ponders aloud.
"Let's sneak a peek," I suggest.
Paul knocks gently on one of the doors, and after no response, he opens it so that we can peer inside. Behind the door, the room is tiled from the floor up to the ceiling, with a drain in the floor, and a shower head protruding from the wall. On the wall is a timer switch that looks to control the light and a heater mounted in the ceiling.
Much nicer than I expected.
The room is clean and well kept. It is surprisingly large as well, acting as a combination shower and changing room.
