Now that the school year is starting back up, the joy of summer fun is right there waving goodbye from the jail cell door. The first day of school has come leaving the jail locked, and you will be filled with whatever work stresses you out most. In this moment all we can do is try to hold onto those memories of fun and the feeling of freedom.

One of my favorite things to do over the long, yet short summer days, is to go camping. Going with friends or family is the best and most beneficial thing I can do with my time. I love the feeling of waking up from that long car ride just to feel the bumpy dirt road you are driving on. Looking out your window you can see all the different colored tents set up, and the happy nature-loving people who want to enjoy the great outdoors for what it is- an amazing time. 

Once you arrive at your campsite, there is the rush to set up your stale-smelling tent full of memories and get everything inside before it gets infested with mosquitoes. Then, when the tent is all setup, you have to make the assembly line to get everything inside it. Next comes the part of arguing with your siblings about who gets to sleep next to who and where. 

Once that is done, here is the actual fun. There are so many things you can do at a campsite that you wouldn’t be able to do on a normal day at home: hiking, having a fire, making s’mores, swimming, and not having to worry about when that stupid assignment is due. 

You get to enjoy the beautiful nature around you; breathing in the fresh air will bring a natural sense of serenity. The wave of calm will sweep over you and guide you to your happy place. 

One of my favorite things to do while camping over the summer is to wake up early and go surfing with my dad. Waking up to get the morning swells brings joy, whereas waking up to go to that boring class just sucks. You get to sit on a surfboard feeling the waves around you instead of sitting in a chair gripping your pencil as you try and figure out how to do the next math problem. 

The ocean waves give life back to me as I was once bored out of my mind. As I watch the horizon, I watch as a swell comes my way, the perfect size wave for a beginner-ish surfer is rolling near. I turn my board then pop up and ride the wave. 

Once the beach becomes crowded with all the tourists, that is when you know to go find something else to do. Will it be a walk around town to get some food or a nice hike in the woods? Don’t get me wrong I love to find tasty places to eat food, but I would choose the hike. 

There is no other feeling than starting the 5-mile hike you set out for, unsure of what will come around the winding trail. Once you exert so much effort into hiking up the treacherous climb, you get to enjoy the view of the mountain you just conquered.

Back to the lovely campground, you go to find a snack and maybe take a quick little dip in the ocean or a nearby lake. After all your camping activities you get full of dirt and whatever seaweed or algy that was in the water. You might decide to just live with it and take a shower when you get home, or the dip in the lake or ocean might count towards getting clean. That is a part of the camping experience, but some people can’t live in nature’s natural remedies so they go and take a shower just to get dirty the next day. 

After your long day of freeing endless fun, you need to make some food. Will it be a burger, hot dog, potato, or will you go out to eat? One of my personal favorites is a potato. 

Making it in a fire is much more fun than baking it in the oven at home. You have to wrap it in foil and find a perfect spot to put it in the fire, rotating it once in a while so it doesn’t burn. Getting the taste of fire and smoke doesn’t always taste the best, but it is so rewarding after a long day. 

Once the blanket of nighttime starts to cover the world, you get out the s’mores kit. Roast your marshmallow, trying not to catch it on fire, and waiting for it to turn golden brown is the most patient I will ever be. It takes so much work to get it perfect, but the reward when you do is delicious. 

Talking and laughing with family and friends around the crackling fire will bring back many memories of the fun summer days I had as a kid. I hope they will never end and I will never forget them. 

Now the fire is out, you can hear it sizzling from the water poured on top, that is when you know it is time for sleep. You zip yourself in the cozy sleeping bag and listen to the soft sounds of nature. After, you fall asleep and dream of enjoying times, wishing they will never end – but surely they do.