Big Sis sent a message of disappointment after her daughter’s backpacking trip with the girl scouts was cancelled. She was bummed as her last trip to the backcountry was way back when we were kids lucky enough to get financial assistance in order to attend a rather expensive backpacking camp for the rich and famous (slight exaggeration).
We were on welfare at the time, paying for our dairy products and peanut butter with food stamps and humility. And although our slurpee cups and toddler friendly plastic plates caught the attention of ALL as they made their way through the wash, amongst the sierra cups and other specialized camp-ware, we gratefully let the ridicule run off our backs just to be able to enjoy the experience.
Upon reading Big Sis’ message, I asked theMan if he thought I’d be ready to “take the lead” on a backpacking trip. His response was a wholehearted and absolute “YES!” I immediately reached out to Big Sis and, after confirming interest, went in search of securing trail camp reservations and the necessary wilderness permit. This was a bigger task than it seems as we had only ONE available weekend and very little lead time. But somehow, I managed to make arrangements for a small-scale backpacking adventure.
