Reflection on My Camping Experience

Everyone has an interesting camping experience to write an essay on. For me it was last year in October, when my family and I took our first camping trip to the Lake Houston Wilderness Park and slept underneath the stars. As we walked through the beautiful park, the colors of the sun shined brightly onto the pile of leaves. The gentle breeze of the forest welcomed us with the sound of crackling dried leaves, which gave me that tingling sensation everyone gets at the beginning of autumn.

My family was altogether, which was the most important part of the trip for me. My siblings are adults with different lives, which makes it difficult for us to plan an activity, like this one, where we can be altogether at the same time and place. We had finished setting up the tent when it suddenly started raining. Luckily, we had position the tent on a high flat surface where water could not come into our tent. Even with the rain, I had never been happier. The quiet forest and big trees surrounded the tent. While we all enjoyed the sound of the rain’s very soft light droplets dripping on our tent, mom prepared some snacks and drinks for us while we played games, and chatted about our daily life stories. We made wet-weather camping fun. I noticed how unique it was camping under the sound of the rain; we were gathered around in the middle of nature and it was a nice feeling.

At night, it was a little bit cool. My sisters and I grabbed a warm blanket. Soon, my mom cooked a warm meal over the fire for the family. I realized that a hot meal and good conversation would warm us right up. While we ate together, my father pointed at the stars and told us stories about his childhood. We laughed and enjoyed his stories. The next morning, I opened my eyes and ears. It had stopped raining. I could hear the birds and the crickets chirping repetitively. The beauty of the forest felt amazing. It was something I had never experienced before. The weather was very cool and pretty. I understood why my parents were so enthusiastic about camping. We spent the rest of the evening exploring the rocky trails around our campsite. We had a lovely late afternoon hiking, while the beauty of the sunset, rosy and salmon pink, hid behind the pine trees; it was amazing. That evening we packed up our belongings and headed home. Staring out of the truck window, I remembered the good moments. Most of all, I remembered the sound of rain in the forest, the birds singing, and my father’s stories.

From our camping trip, I learned that there was plenty of entertainment to be found in exploring nature. I could not wait to find out what other secrets nature had for me to see. I am very grateful for this camping trip. Not only did I experience the beauty of the forest. I also learned that even if the weather is not the best for camping, we can adapt to mother nature as a family to make unforgettable memories.

Works Cited

1. Anderson, S. (2019). Camping Under the Stars: A Guide to Family Camping. Penguin Books.
2. Beale, T. (2018). The Joy of Camping: Outdoor Adventures for Families. Mountaineers Books.
3. Cunningham, J. (2017). The Essential Camping Handbook: A Guide to Family Camping and Outdoor Survival. Skyhorse Publishing.
4. Holloway, G. (2020). Camping 101: A Beginner's Guide to Family Camping. Outdoor Life.
5. Jones, M. (2016). Camping with Kids: Complete Guide to Car Tent and RV Camping. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
6. National Park Service. (n.d.). Lake Houston Wilderness Park. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/parks/cohf.htm
7. National Wildlife Federation. (n.d.). Camping with Kids. Retrieved from https://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Outdoor-Activities/Camping-with-Kids
8. Reynolds, C. (2015). The Camping Trip: A Family's Adventure in the Great Outdoors. HMH Books for Young Readers.
9. The Coleman Company. (n.d.). Camping Tips. Retrieved from https://www.coleman.com/camping-tips/