The Camper

 

22 years ago, as two young kids, we embarked on an adventure that would give us memories to last a lifetime. With our first child, only 3 years old, in tow, we wandered an asphalt parking lot, oohing and aahing over the incredible campers. We had tent camped our entire life and now with a little one, tent camping was a little more difficult. We talked about the possibilities, especially knowing we were growing our family. We loved the outdoors and loved to be in the trees camping, the camper would provide a few more conveniences that would make camping easier.   

Between quiet conversations about feasibility of owning a camper, and the fun of watching Tyler chatter about the bunks, the space to play and the fun, we made a decision. A little crazy and a little extravagant for our time in life, we buckled down and bought a travel trailer. Aside from our house, it was our first major purchase. Tyler was over the moon, and we were a little giddy. We knew nothing about towing a camper, setting one up, how to maintain it, but we were young and knew we would figure it out.

The camper glistened as James drove it home. Parked in front of the house, we marveled at the bed with bunk space above, a dinette and couch that transformed into a bed and another drop down bed above the dinette. It would be perfect. Moments of our first trip will be etched forever in our memories; Tyler snuggled into his bed at the front amid character encased pillows, his favorite Blues Clues pillow and a couple favorite stuffed animals. The bed seemed huge, and he loved it. We stocked the camper with color books, action figures, games, shovels, and camp chairs. From that moment the adventures began for our sweet family. Hot chocolate or “coffee” in our camp cups, walks in the woods, naps, hanging on camp chairs staring at the fire.

Within the year we added to our family and enjoyed the convenience of a camper with a newborn. We hiked, experienced nature, played in the dirt, roasted marshmallows, and played games. We didn’t camp in traditional campgrounds but found places in the trees where we could back in and have the run of the woods. It was our little slice of heaven.   

As our boys grew the implements inside the camper changed. Coloring books and crafts made way for different games, wiffle balls and footballs. Bb guns, bows and .22 were added. Bottles and sippy cups transitioned to water, soda, and tea. Our sweet little camper welcomed it all. The sleeping arrangements changed as the boys got older. They slept in the back the camper for a while with my oldest on the top bunk and my youngest in the space below, allowing Mom and Dad to stay up and visit or play games. The beds were filled with favorite books, toys and sweet snuggly boys.

They played outside in the dirt and when it rained, we sat inside and played games in the dim light. I remember dirty faces, covered in sticky marshmallow or hot chocolate. Hot dogs on the fire and knees and legs so covered in dirt, the sheets got filthy. I remember the rainbow sleeping bags, covering them up in the middle of the night, worried they were too cold, and I watched as each year those beds got smaller.

We celebrated countless Father’s Days in the woods along with Tyler’s birthday. Cakes I made were jostled as we rambled over rock strewn roads and up crazy hills. Each cake, a piece of a core memory; power rangers, camo, a beer cake. We laughed, we hiked, we ate, we rested and played games. We had friends join us, watched wildlife including deer and moose walk right by the camper.

When we bought the camper, we couldn’t afford a generator. The battery worked well, but James still had to get up every so often to start the vehicle and recharge the battery during the night. After a few years we borrowed a friend’s HUGE gas generator. It took up a huge part of the trailer and we had to maneuver to get it inside. Once we arrived at our site, we both had to carry it as far into the woods as the extension cord would allow because the noise was deafening. We just updated to a small quiet generator when things changed this year.

Our camper has been camping, hunting, golfing, to the grandparents’ house and parked in front of our house. During the summer, even when we weren’t camping, the boys would eat every meal possible inside. The table became the favorite spot for figure wars, army men, Batman, the Power Rangers, Transformers and Scooby and the gang. We created years of memories in that sweet little camper.

The last two years our camper sat and waited. We had every intention to get into the trees, but, well life. With life calmer I looked out the window at her and knew we needed to be back up in the trees, away from the people and chaos. I wanted the breezes in the tops of the trees, to watch the eagles above white rock, to hike and listen to the stream, to feel the heat as we sat outside and listened to nature sing around us. The problem is our sweet little trailer had gotten smaller or maybe our family had gotten bigger.

Our last camping trip the boys wedged themselves and twisted up to fit on the couch and dinette sleeper.  What used to seem huge for them, now left them with legs hanging over, shoulders slightly off the edge. The little dinette used to sit all 4 of us and now we spread out on beds and couches to eat. Our sweet boys are now men, and we add our new daughter-in-law. As I looked at our camper, I realized she was too small for us to be comfortable. The bed James and I shared included not being able to roll over, knocking the metal blinds 100s of times at night and having to crawl in awkwardly. It was time to do something different.

I spent time cleaning the dust that settled over the last couple years, moving out items that were stored and washing the bedding. Each moment cleaning reminded me of the camping eggs, the meals, the games, the puzzles, the crafts, the memories. As I cleaned and remembered each moment of the hikes, shooting the guns, practicing with bows, I remembered the love and memories we created as a family. How our trailer changed with us as our family grew. Our memories from camping are forever within her walls.

I think about the future of our sweet little camper and our ability to pass her to our oldest and our future daughter. I smiled as I remade the beds and listened to their ideas about how the camper will work for them. My heart grew knowing my granddog, who is terrified of tents, will now get to climb up and snuggle on a bed.

Our camper has some age to her, you can see it in the fade of her colors, in the little creaks and groans as she rumbles along, but she is still good.  As Tyler and Ashlyn adopt her and make her theirs, I think of the memories she will get to share with them. The dinners they will cook, the games they will play. We will continue to have family camping trips and as our family grows our campsite will grow and now our sweet little camper that was an extravagant purchase over 22 years ago will now add more memories with one of the little people that grew within her walls.