I grew up in a small town in upstate New York and most of my family vacations during the summer months were to a random campsite at a lake. Which was perfect for a family of five. Dad could take us fishing and boating, and mom lathered us three girls in sunscreen as we spent a day at the beach.

We did both camper and tent camping at our favorite spots that include Southwick Beach State Park (my all-time favorite), Bowman Lake State Park and many more. The years spent at Southwick actually inspired me to choose where I wanted to go to college, SUNY Oswego, a campus that had a premier view of the lake, Rudy’s, Bev’s and sunsets that you don’t see anywhere else. Oh, and snow… lots of snow which was my least favorite part!

My family and I camped in all sorts of elements. It seemed to be an annual tradition to get caught in a rain storm on Memorial Day weekend. One year we made reservations to camp at Kellystone Park Campground for the long holiday weekend. It snowed. My sister and I were setting up our tent while my dad was setting up the camper and it started snowing. We couldn’t believe it!

Another year for Labor Day weekend, we camped at Southwick when tornados ripped through the surrounding area that ended up shutting down the New York State Fair. I remember waking up to horrendous wind and seeing constant lightning strikes. We were fortunate to have been in the camper that trip and had a few items blown over but people lost tents and other items.

Snow, rain and even tornados. Why do I keep camping?! I’ll tell you why. The memories and stories that I look back on make me happy. If it rains, get under your shelter and play a game of cards. If it snows, bundle up, drink a warm beverage around a hot fire and enjoy conversation with the people around you. If there are severe storms rolling through, seek immediate shelter!

I’m now 30-years-old and my husband and I love camping and do it often (hence, the start of this blog). The time spent in the woods, around the bonfire or on a beach are moments where people really connect. Like KOA’s blog describes, camping helps with stress reduction, relationship building, unplugging and much more.

My story starts here and it continues.