Where it Started and Where it is Now
Right after I graduated college, I had no idea what I was going to do. Weeks before graduation — with a plant biology major and a religion minor — I found myself applying for random jobs with no real direction. I ended up with a summer job and another seasonal job lined up after that.
My summer job was with the forestry department in Minnesota, identifying plants in randomly assigned spots on the map. That meant spending long days in untouched forest land: hiking, sitting, and occasionally falling through the forest floor, bogs, and lake fronts. In case you don’t know, Minnesota is extremely hot and extremely buggy in the middle of summer, so I spent most of my time in mosquito netting and head-to-toe rain gear just to protect myself.
I worked with two foresters who had spent their whole lives outdoors. Meanwhile, the most “outdoorsy” thing I did growing up was cabin time. Hiking and camping were how my dad bonded with my brother — not with me. But what did I get out of that job? I learned that I love nature. All of it. The sun, the rain, the plants, the animals, the land up close and far away… even the bugs.
Luckily, that set me up perfectly for the next seasonal job I had already accepted: teaching environmental education. This meant spending 16 hours a day outside with kids of all ages, sharing my new love with them. They were long days in the South Carolina heat, and I loved every minute. That job added the nighttime parts of nature — the dark, the quiet, the fire, and the fun of camping.
I stayed in that role for a year before moving on to another environmental education job, this time in Rhode Island. It was similar, but with more multiday hiking and camping trips, overnight programs, and even some history mixed in. It was so fun, and I found myself camping, hiking, climbing, and just being outside on my own time too.
This is also when I started dating Krissy. Krissy also loved the outdoors, but she was more of a fair-weather car camper. This is where I learned the joy of amenities. Things like real chairs, a big tent, pillows, a grill, a cooler, a speaker, and a car to drive off in if you forgot something. It was fun, social, and still full of nature. It was such a big part of our relationship that most of our wedding registry was camping gear.
Over the years, our summers (and sometimes other seasons) were full of camping, and we evolved through different setups. We started with a tent for years, but eventually we got older and swapped some trips for yurts or cabins. Then came the van, which we converted into a camper van. The van was necessary because the ground was just too hard and cold “at our age.” Plus, it handled rain, snow, and hail a lot better. Let me tell you: we have definitely been floating on an air mattress in a small lake inside our tent before.
The van lasted a year. We kept it, but eventually used it to tow a small trailer camper instead. My beautiful wife did not enjoy not being able to stand up inside the van, and changing clothes was a struggle. And plumbing was a very welcome improvement.
And as it often goes — once you get comfort, you want more.
So then we upgraded to a small Class A RV. That added a place to sit that wasn’t a bed or a tiny table. The best part for me was that we weren’t paying for a gas-guzzling vehicle unless we were actually camping.
Through all these evolutions, though, I’ve held onto a few non-negotiables:
We use sleeping bags, even if we’re sleeping on a queen-sized bed with a comfy mattress. (I LOVE my sleeping bag: called the cloud)
The bathroom is only for peeing. If you need to poo, you use a public restroom or dig a hole in the woods.
Food should still be cooked over a fire.
And most important of all: camping means you spend most of your time outside.
Now here we are at our next evolution — looking at full-time RV life. What will our non-negotiables be when our home is our RV? What do we want in our house on wheels?
We bought a bigger RV in the middle of the summer — a 40-foot diesel Beaver — and learned quickly that it is not the answer. Forty feet is way too long. Diesel is not our jam. So what comes next?
What are your non-negotiables when camping? What even counts as camping? Is RVing camping? And if you had a house on wheels, what would you absolutely need?
What made you fall in love with nature?
Come follow our adventure,
Anne