A Weekend in the Brush
Six besties and a dog take on the great outdoors, a much anticipated, weekend getaway. Sofie recently moved to DC and wanted to plan a camping trip, to which we all agreed. We planned for weeks, texting in our group chat, ordering stuff online, educating ourselves on bear safety. Unfortunately, it’s been quite a while since all of us have been together and we couldn’t have been more excited. Camping is an enriching experience and what better way to catch up, than spend a few days in the woods.
Quinn, Jack, Sofie, Carina, and I met in Cincinnati Ohio, seven years ago, when we all committed to the same Conservatory BFA program. Little did we know, we’d become a family. Javier joined us our Junior year and has been stuck with us ever since. There’s something about living through your highest highs and lowest lows with a group of people. Maybe it was the grueling BFA life or just the grueling reality of growing up, but we experienced it all together. The heartbreaks, successes, failures, fights, makeups, THE PANDEMIC. Our friendships have survived it all and blossomed into our adulthood. And that’s what makes a family. Graduating into the real world was a huge adjustment… starting from zero and trying to figure it all out. But luckily we’ve had each other along the way.
If you haven’t noticed this is a photo heavy blogpost!! Javier, a wonderful and very talented photography, gave me a crash course, teaching me how to set up my camera manually to achieve the kind of photo I want to take. Since getting my camera a few months back, I’ve been really wanting to improve my photos and learn how to manipulate certain settings to do so.
We spent the weekend completely unplugged, laughing our asses off, playing catan and eating Sofie’s infamous corn dip. Javier, the fire god, was in charge of always keeping that flame going. Jack was our resident chef, making the tastiest burgers (and makes the best s’mores known to man). And I can truly always count on Carina and Quinn to make me cry with laughter, whether it be pranking each other or making a goofy noise.
Now I am no camping expertise, but if I learned anything from my time in the wild, it was to always have these for my future camping endeavors:
camping essentials:
Head lamp
Wipes (!!!)
Sleeping Pad
Sofie’s Corn Dip
Portable Charger
Layers
Frozen Meats
Camera
Lots of games
We all snuggled up in one huge tent, cuddling for warmth when the sun went down. And although I forgot a sleeping pad, and we had to pee in the woods, it was one of the most memorable weekends we’ve had.
Your mid 20’s aren’t supposed to be easy… There have been so many changes in the past few years, so many new things to get used to. The future can feel so daunting, and time just seems to be moving faster. I find comfort in this group of people. Spending time together transports me back to being a bunch of 19 year olds living in a big house, being silly together. It is a constant in my life that I do not take for granted.
If you’re looking to get out of the Big Apple and touch some grass, I highly recommend Wharton State Forest in New Jersey!