Going camping

Once Commencement is over on Sunday, Eric will have completed his first year of teaching and we will be celebrating by going camping with our two small children. As I get us ready for this first-time-camping-in-Florida adventure, I started thinking about what might be different about camping in Florida compared to other places. 

In San Francisco, living indoors is all about keeping out the wind (oh how I hate that cold cold wind!).

In Florida, shelter is first and foremost about separating people and all other living creatures: people in, everyone else out. The AC is nice too, but the critters send people indoors well before the heat does. 

And I am not just talking about all the bugs - though there are a LOT of bugs. Maybe it is the alligators swimming around in my backyard, but Florida seems to me to have more than its share of deadly creatures, or at least creatures that can really hurt you. Or just really gross you out. Bad.

Our plan is to go for two nights and three days. We will be camping on a beach and are crossing our fingers there will be some shade for a nap during the hottest part of the day, or the tent might actually cook us.