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This summer, my husband and I went camping three times; once to a lake far from our house and twice to the camping sites nearby. I’ve never done camping until I came to Canada, but now every time I go camping, I like it more.

The pleasure of camping starts at the preparation. When we go camping, usually we bike because we don’t drive. That means we can’t carry lots of things and we should carefully select what to bring. This year, I bought a new camping mattress which is much more compact and lighter than the one I had before. Usually, the lighter one is more expensive, but it’s reasonable for us as we should count every gram. Literally!

Food is a big issue as well. Bringing a cooler box is impossible for us. So, what should we bring? We made some recipes using dehydrated veggies or instant pasta sauce mix. Usually, we don’t eat instant stuff so much, but that’s OK. Be flexible. Simplifying the cooking process is also crucial and that’s one of the real thrills of camping. This summer’s new recipe was shepherd's pie and we prepared it with just one camping pot. It was easy to cook and delicious.

All things aside, though, the best part of camping is nature, I would say. Just with a one-hour bike ride, we can immerse ourselves into nature and get away from it all. No lights, no devices, no Internet. If you are in the forest, you could notice how good the smell of leaves is and how relaxing the birds’ chirping is. If you are on the shore, the rippling wave sound might lead you to a good sleep. And the darkness! If you wake up in the middle of the night, you might be surprised how dark and quiet it is. Once I heard that an unknown bird was hooting far up. It was almost a sacred voice and I felt completely relaxed. Then I realized that I’m a part of nature as well.

You can have an extraordinary time while camping. You don’t have to go far away for that. The important thing is not where to go, but what to do. From the preparation to coming back home, through all the experience, you would get some fun, pleasure and contentment. So, let’s go camping!