I think my favorite part is just feeling immersed in nature, and disconnected from man-made spaces. The lack of cars, lack of concrete, lack of 90 degree angles everywhere. There's just something really soothing about it.
I've always said food tastes better in the woods. I think part of my reasoning is that usually when were camping were doing lots of physical things... chopping wood, setting up camp, building fires. So naturally when your away from your couch, microwave ,etc your already tired and you quickly realize the nutrition is vital. A hot can of chili is a 5 star meal at this point. love it.
It's always about the food with me OP, I feel ya. I'm 44. I used to love airplane food, Piedmont Airlines also had the best nuts. I used to like hospital food, but I've had it so much and it varies so much from hospital to hospital, this is all another huge tangent. Anyhow, something about compartmentalized and portioned food makes me love the experience on top of the food. It's also why I like MREs and will take one and eat one while fishing every now and again.
We are opposites 😆 Food is almost strictly fuel so I can hike more. The best part of camping is that I don't have to leave the park before more hiking tomorrow!
Hiking is the best, but we eat so much better when camping. At home I barely want to throw together something simple, but before a big camping trip I'm pulling out cookbooks, chopping ingredients, planning elaborate yummy meals..
My favorite part is watching my man throw a days worth of logs on the fire I built every 20min until I have to go spend a million dollars to buy a few more bundles locally. My second favorite part is jealously guarding my overpriced wood from my partner. 🤣
I like being very very busy organizing and prepping the site. I feel like a squirrel prepping for winter. It's hard to stess out over work when I'm living my best squirrel life.
Chilling in nature and reading after a few hours of hiking. Oh, and having a craft beer out there helps. I find that being at peace in nature really amplifies the information I can absorb when reading a good non-fiction book.
Unpopular opinion: the sleep. Somehow 5 to 6 hours of sleeping in a hammock only to wake up to the sun and the sound of the critters and creatures of the woods leaves me more rested than 8 to 9 hours in my own bed.
I remember cold mornings fishing alone. Family a friends still sleeping. I remember being calm and happy. I always remember the best food we made on the 🔥 fire!