I'm a Happy Camper

Know what I did last weekend?

I went to camp!!!!

My daughter's day camp had a family sleepover, where all the parents got to act like campers along with their kids.  The picture?  I'm on a bungee trampoline!  I even flipped over backwards… and of course practically tore my rotator cuff because I'm that inflexible… but it was FUN!!!  Miss M and I played Hide and Seek and Tag in a massive inflatable, we went down a huge waterslide, we watched a magic show, had a late night dance party…

It was spectacular.

I'm always juggling a zillion things in my head, far too many of them neurotic, but at camp I let it all go and just played with Miss M.  When it got late, we crawled into our dew-covered sleeping bags and slept under the stars — something I'd never done before.  In the morning, coffee never tasted so good.  We were up at the crack of dawn, wandered zombie-like but cozy in our pajamas for a couple hours, then the fun revved up again: more bungee, more bouncer, more waterslide and pool… by the time Closing Circle came, I had never been so tired, or so relaxed and happy.

My head can be a crowded, confusing, noisy place.  Twenty-four hours outdoors and on the go stopped the chaos and replaced it with a single imperative, which is in fact the #1 rule of this camp — it's even posted:  Have Fun.  And in my case, Have Fun With Miss M, which made it even more special.  The mental getaway of camp was more effective than a week of spa days.

I hope they do it again next year; I'm already looking forward to it.

What's your favorite way to unplug and de-stress?  Does it involve a giant inflatable?