Top five mindful moments of camping

Our family of four with two little kids decided to venture out of our comfort zone and go camping to Mendocino, California. Given cold weather in November, we tried cabin camping. Not exactly camping, in its strictest definition, but hey, I consider this a huge success for our family. One step at a time! With the little humans, what could have been a four hour drive became an eight hour one. Normally, I would have been annoyed that we spent too much time on the road. This time, I came to enjoy the spontaneous stops we made and even looked forward to the next one. We explored local towns, tried their dishes, and chatted about what’s happening in the area. There’s something magical about camping that forces one to let go of all the anxieties and just enjoy the moment. Despite the long drive, I could tell from the beginning that this trip was going to be a mindful one.

Free from all the usual to-do-lists, I was just happy being present. Below are my top five mindful camping moments that hopefully, will inspire you to also start planning your little trip to nature:

#5 No towels. There’s nothing like absence of something that makes you appreciate. I completely forgot to bring towels for my family. Not a big deal, I thought, until we no longer had enough clean clothes or paper towels to use in lieu of. Who knew the only two stores in the area, Safeway and CVS, don’t carry towels? Amazon had no way of getting towels to us in time. We had to really think creatively where we could possibly get towels. After a whole day of quest, we finally got some from a boutique kitchen store. Thank goodness we did. Simple things we take for granted. I so appreciate them all.

#4 Nature. The drive to the camping site had beautiful redwood trees all around. Redwood tries in Northern California are some of the tallest and oldest trees on the planet. I wondered how wise these trees must be, having survived through so much. The magnificent and calm energy from these trees was energizing. I felt as though I’m one with the mother nature.

The beauty of camping in Mendocino is that the Pacific Coast is only within a few minutes ride. We stumbled upon Harbor House Inn that has a two-Michelin stars restaurant. With the wishful thinking that we’ll come back one day with no kids, we followed down a narrow path towards the ocean. The view of the ocean was absolutely breath-taking. It reminded me of the moment we first saw the stunning view of Hanalei Bay in Kauai, Hawaii. When you meet nature in its most majestic form, there’s no room to think of anything else. You’re just there, at awe with its beauty. That’s what we did. We just stood there for a few minutes, admiring the view, and listening to the splashing sounds of the waves.

#3 Local shops. In every new city we travel, we make sure to take time to check out local shops. In Mendocino, we were lucky to find small yet beautiful wineries. While kids were on the grass playing, the adults enjoyed some wine tasting that perfectly complemented the warm sunlight. One of them had a small barn where kids got to feed some grandma goats. Another shop we absolutely loved was a toy store called Out of This World. Located at a corner overlooking the ocean, this store was packed with carefully selected educational and science toys. Big and small telescopes that helped the kids see beyond what’s normally visible were very memorable.

#2 Stars. The Sun went down early before 5 pm, and when it did, it left us with absolute darkness. Holding my kids’ hands, we all looked up. To our amusement, the dark sky was packed with the brightest stars. The stars were so many as though no space could exist between them. Wish I knew the constellations so I could share interesting stories. Instead, we just looked up and and drew imaginary objects connecting the dots. Yet, the moment felt magical and wondrous.

#1 Cooking outside. I dreaded stepping outside to cook breakfast in the morning, fearing how freezing cold it must be. Yet, when I turned on the portable stove and started cooking some eggs and veggies, all the senses came alive. The crispy cool air, sizzling sound, warm smokes from food, they all mixed together to create magic. Making breakfast at home is never this fun. I make breakfast and pack lunch for kids at home, and I rush them all almost like a race. Here, cooking outside, alone in nature, felt so calming and enjoyable. Everything tasted amazing too. I just tossed in all the left over food, and yet, every bite tasted fresh. To top it off, try making hot chocolate in the morning. This will taste like the best hot chocolate you’ll ever taste.

If you feel like you’re always on the run and your brain doesn’t stop churning, consider going camping even just for a weekend. Just the act of disconnecting from technology, and being in the middle of nature, will help you slow down and enjoy everything there is. Not sure if we’ll make a leap to real tent camping anytime soon, but we’ll surely get back to nature when the weather gets warmer. Oh, and yes, I might as well pack towels now, just in case.

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