30 Things #28: Go camping in the fall

Ah friends, a quick update = I ran my race! That blog is coming, I just need to get some pics and it is coming your way :)

So for now, I need to share with you this fun bucket list item I got to check off with some wonderful people earlier this month--CAMPING!

Growing up, our family went camping at least once a year, usually in the summer. It was full of memories of setting up tents in the rain, hikes in the day, s'mores and hot chocolate at night and all the grunge and outdoorsy goodness that is living in nature. I am so glad that I have these memories...and this year I wanted the chance to make a few more. Of course to the left you will see a real gem of that history circa 1993ish? Yeah...it was the only one I could find in my house :)

So this year I wanted to go camping, but especially in the FALL. Just think crisp air. Fires. Pretty colors. Hearty food. Yep. Fall camping is the best. How fun that God gave us SEASONS. So creative. 

My best friend from high school, Mary Beth, was sweet enough to invite me to join a trip she and her husband Andrew had already planned with other friends and family which worked out just perfectly. 

Location: Lake Conasaunga in North Georgia

Read: Head north and eventually drive on a gravel road for 45 minutes in the dark and rain to get there. My little Corolla has never felt so cool off-roading like that :)

Yeah it was pretty :)

Plan: Join up with the crew already up there after work Friday and stay overnight, do some hiking and relaxing in the outdoors Saturday!

Eat: Brats and sweet potatoes for dinner. S'mores (obviously). Homemade chocolates. Bell peppers stuffed with eggs and veggies + the best bacon of your life+ fruit for breakfast. Sandwiches and snacks for lunch. Gorp. Yep, all pretty basic and yet we ate GOOD. 

Seriously. Bacon has never tasted so good.

And winner for best food idea: RYAN! How cool is this?!

Poor little thing didn't stand a chance this time.

Sleep: Yeeeaaahhhhhh about that. I had the cutest little 2 person tent that was my parents' from decades centuries ago. But it smelled like...well it was a wee bit musty. Mix that with a bit o' rain (I am serious people--it is not a Torell camping trip without rain) it was not gonna work out. So I joined up the Thomas' tent (aka mansion--sine when did they start making tents with rooms and porches and just...what??) and it worked out great! However, I admit I brought much more padding for myself than I would have used when I was 7. I am not ashamed. One of those things that makes you love being 30 is that you are ok with loving sleep. YES.

One of the best parts of camping to me is just getting away from it all. Of course you can camp within cell phone range and be connected to the world if you really want...but we were blessed enough to NOT have service and forced to enjoy and notice the beauty and little things around us. Of course...that is also not without it's risks. While did not come upon any bears we did manage to camp the very night before the beginning of hunting season in Georgia (read: lots of camp-wearing rednecks riding around in their big trucks at 6 am and threatening us with needing to wear something bright orange while hiking or else we might get shot). 

Oh the irony of how pretty this picture is the next morning haha!

[One unfortunate occurrence for me was with a HUGE spider that was feeling the need to get cozy around the fire on my hand...and then on my arm...literally writing this brings back the nausea with how GROSS this beast was. Creepy and crawly. Insert me shivering and shaking and shaking my hand as if it is still there. THANK YOU boys for finding it and KILLING it. SO. GROSS. UGH.]

But what made this whirlwind getaway especially wonderful was the people! Mary Beth and Andrew are dear friends and I always love time with them. Even the way they have been excited WITH me to live it up in this year of 30, have always been so encouraging and supportive--just a true blessing to me. AND their girls did great! So fun to get to experience all the fun of camping through the eyes of little kiddos. Getting to spend time with Kate, Mary Beth's sister and her husband Ben, plus long-time friend Ryan--just a good group! These people love Jesus, are truly affirming of me and each other, and up for anything with such awesome attitudes-- just refreshing to be around. Always. Everyone needs people like that in their lives. Yay for another memory made and here's to next year!

Sweet Lisette, Andrew, Mary Beth, Ryan, me, Kate, Ben, and sweet Audra. Fun crew :)