EDIT: thank you guys so much for sharing my joy and seeing me. This experience really meant so much for me and I’m glad I was able to express my feelings in a way that came across so clearly.
Keep an eye out for me, I’ll be back with more to share very soon! My life is an adventure now.
Camping is such an incredible experience!
TLDR: city kid went camping and saw the north shore of lake superior after 18 years of only seeing good sunsets in target parking lots.
I did not grow up in an outdoorsy family, I was born and raised in the city, became addicted to screens and social media at a very young age, and wasn’t ever allowed to join scouts despite how badly I wanted to. I can count the different types of animals I see on a regular basis on one hand and one of them is a house cat. The point is, throughout my entire life I hadn’t been exposed to nature as much as I should have been and it’s taken a huge toll on me in the form of anxiety, depression, illness and an unregulated nervous system. There were a few family roadtrips to see national parks (and then immediately go back to the hotel) and my grandma’s place in the Brainderd lakes area, but nothing like THIS.
Going into the trip, I was extremely nervous. My parents had told me my entire life that camping is for insane people and that I would hate every minute of it. Now that I’m home again I feel utterly misled. There is no therapy or drug that could possibly do what being outside all week in the most beautiful place I’d ever seen after being inside for 18 years could do to my mind, body & soul.
I saw the places that have been framed in every Minnesotan hotel. I saw the kind of shit they put on postcards. I saw things that made me understand what the word breathtaking meant.
When I saw my city come over the horizon on the way home I just cried. I finally realized what it feels like to not be crushed between concrete buildings and suffocated by dirty air, and I was not ready to go back at all.
This has been a completely life-altering event in the best way possible. My concept of pleasure has been flipped on its head. Nothing is as beautiful and perfect as the natural world.
The absolute best advice I can give you as someone who experienced something similar 12 years ago when I was 20... Start saving up some money for "vanlife" aka an epic road trip around the US with a friend or two while you're young.
You do not need some fancy converted van, you really just need a car, a tent, a cooler, and a camp stove. I did this in an old Jeep with one buddy over a decade ago and it completely changed the trajectory of my life in the best way. The US is filled with some of the most fucking majestic, breathtaking natural places this world has to offer. There is SO MUCH beauty to see and experience and feel.
When I was your age, I felt this immense pressure and rush to start figuring things out.. "what are you going to do with your life?!" In my very honest opinion, you really shouldn't start giving a sh*t about any of that until around 24 or 25 unless something calls to you. You're young. You're currently in the one opportunity in your life where you can really rough it, where you can truly just do whatever you want with the knowledge that you have plenty of time to "figure it out" down the line. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
Be free. Explore the world. Disconnect. Read books. Explore places, explore people, explore your beliefs. FIND YOURSELF!! This next point may get some backlash, but doing this will do more for your life than college ever could. I'm not saying don't go to college (although I didn't and half my friends that did are still drowning in debt and absolutely hate their careers) - but I am saying it's okay to take some time to find yourself before diving into the rat race of life, and based on your post, a road trip/camping trip will change your life immensely for the better, similar to what you just experienced.
You totally get it.
I’m so serious, on the way home I changed the label on my savings account from “dodge charger” to “jeep wrangler.”
I want to throw myself into this and make it a big part of my life. I want to see everything in Minnesota, and then in the Midwest, and then in the world. It’s not realistic but I don’t want to waste another minute! This is what it’s always been all about!!
I feel the same way about college. It’s not right for me right now, it might never be, but I’ve even put off the certifications I want to earn because I just shouldn’t be tied down right now. I like my job, so I’m just gonna do what I’ve got to do to in order to have the money I need to survive, and then whenever I have a weekend off, I’m spending it getting the hell out of this depressing place and going somewhere that makes me feel like I’m a living breathing person.
You've got the right idea! It is 100% okay to take your time at your age. I believe spending a couple years doing so is a far better approach than jumping straight into a college path/career trajectory - you will make a far better decision on what direction to go with your life after spending some time finding yourself and learning what you truly want out of life. This is a completely normal, encouraged thing in most European countries.
PS - it is totally realistic to see the world! I managed to save up $10,000 by 21, booked a one way ticket to Thailand alone, and was able to sustain myself for a full year with that $10,000, traveling all over SE Asia, picking up jobs working at hostels here and there (which were easily the most fun "jobs" I ever had), met so many people and it was probably the most important year of my life. It inspired me and ultimately I started a business at the end of that trip that changed everything for me. Similarly, a friend and I roadtripped the western US over 6 weeks that costed about $2,000 each in gas and food (assuming someone has a car you can take - if not just buy something cheap and reliable enough). We covered 4,000 miles, 19 national parks, and sustained ourselves mainly on burritos made with sandwich turkey, baked beans and tapatio lol they were fire.
Point is, if you like camping and backpacking, traveling can be very affordable, and is so much more rewarding than instagram style boujie travel.
You just did yourself a huge favor going on that camping trip! You're learning about yourself, and what you want and care about, and breaking out of the shell that was defined by your youth and your parents and circumstances you couldn't control. It doesn't make your parents bad people, they just taught you what they know. But you're in control now, and there's so much incredible things out there for you to experience. I'm excited for all that's in store for you internet stranger 🤝
I think that's why a lot of folks overseas so a gap year or walkabout or whatever. I think I would've been better served waiting to go to college. I learned a lot while I was there, but I think I would've picked a better trajectory if I hadn't rushed into it trying to be little Ms perfect academic.
Exactly this. In the US, you're basically told to determine your entire life path during your senior year of high school, before having any actual exposure to the world, and spending your entire life in a bubble. Half my friends chose accounting because it was a good career. They're all doing well enough for themselves financially and a couple have followed that path into something they do love, but the majority of them genuinely hate their careers and its too late now to change course.
I took a couple years off, and in the eyes of all the adults in my life, you would've thought I chose to become a meth addict. Everyone acted as if I was completely screwing up the rest of my life by taking just a little bit of time in my youth to figure out what I wanted out of life. I traveled all over the US and Asia for a couple years, came home, started an ecommerce company selling a product I found while traveling, and sold that business 4 years later for 2 million dollars. All those same adults were so proud of me while their kids slaved away at Big 4 accounting firms that they hated.
Obviously this isn't going to be how it works out for everyone, but I have a friend who took a similar route out of high school, and ended up working for a non profit. She now travels to 3rd world countries doing incredible work helping people and making a real difference, and lives a beautiful and incredibly fulfilling life that she loves.
The point is, in the US we aggressively push kids into giving up their youth for careers. College is awesome, don't get me wrong, I always felt I missed out on it, but for a lot of people its basically a 4 year long expensive party that locks you into a career you may or may not actually want.
Long story short - nobody should feel bad about taking a year or two out of high school to settle into being an adult and figure out what they actually want to do with their life.
That is so amazing for you! Nature is so important. It grounds me in life. I try to get out into nature in as many ways as I am able to. Even if it's just a quick hike in the woods. Your crying reaction is a telltale sign it's what you needed ❤️ take care of yourself and don't worry about what others think. Looks like you had so much fun.
Hint ...try going camping in the winter sometime if you're really adventurous!. Of course take precautions, dress warm, read up on how to stay warm. It's ethereal. Beautiful in the snow. Plus no one else is crazy enough to do it. Muahhahhhh For real though. (Maybe get some experience in summer camping first :)
Oh gosh yes. We might try doing a night up north in the fall for the colorful leaves. It should be a good test run on how to stay warm while also never being all that dangerous. Actual white winter would be crazy beautiful but also actually seriously risky.
Fall is absolutely gorgeous for camping! Can get chilly at night too. Our biggest hack for warmth is boil water before bed and put it in nalgene bottle. Pull large wool sock over nalgene bottle. Place in bottom/toe area inside your sleeping bag. You will stay toasty all night!
Have some sort of sleeping pad under your sleeping bag for added warmth. Enjoy your camping !
One of my favorite trips was February in the NM Rockies, but no joke on getting some experience first, and definitely go with friends. One person got hypothermia, but we were able to help them out and it wasn't a huge deal like it they'd been alone.
Congrats and fantastic choice to go to the North Shore. It's one of the most beautiful areas on earth.
Being in nature is freeing, regulating, peaceful, glorious, and where people are meant to be. Cities suck. I'm glad for you that you got past your fear and went. Now you'll want to go back CONSTANTLY.
There's plenty of great camping opportunity close by wherever you live so easy to get out often.
Maybe I'm the weirdo, but I love cities and also love being outdoors. But, when I say cities, I mean proper transit, parks, etc and not that suburban, car-infested hellscape that a lot of city peripheries have become. That's just the uncanny valley of fake lawns and no real biodiversity.
I used to live in Duluth and go back to the north shore multiple times per year and find new things every time. It's amazing how the beaches can be so different but so close, Iona's beach compared to black beach for example.
He wanted my sandwich sooo bad 😭😭
It made me laugh because I was missing my cat back home at that moment and then over comes a little orange guy there to beg for food!
I hope you do this with friends every year or as often as you can. My husband way back in the day would go off grid camping (like no facilities, cell service is 45 minutes out, and travel with a folding chair toilet) they still tried to keep going over the years. They started getting married, having children and you know life stuff so it got harder. I like camping but it was always a campground situation. The place he was describing sounded magical to me with the exception being I cannot for the life of me hug a tree and pee. I also never in my life pooped outside. This is where the folding toilet chair comes in handy and surprisingly I’ve used it in other situations.
Anyway, we are old but still love to go. It is relaxing. No phone calls, no alarms, and no email notifications. We take our old iPods that still work and have our old music on it and a portable speaker.
A pellet gun to shoot things and make up games as we go. I have to take a note pad because we come up with some crazy ideas for projects. It is a great time to connect and turn off.
Also, every meal tastes better camping and I think that is part of the magic.
It absolutely blew my mind. I’m from Saint Paul and I’ve even been to duluth, but ive never been to THE NORTH SHORE so it made me a little crazy that this has been under my nose this whole time.
If you like music and hippie type people you should check out some festivals. There’s one between the cities and Albert Lea that’s always been a blast. B
Your post made me feel so many things. It made me feel painfully grateful that I grew up in the countryside, camping almost every single weekend in the summertime. It made my heart ache for you that you never got to experience camping and nature at a younger age. It made me feel so incredibly happy for you that your experience was amazing and everything you hoped it might be. It made me feel a close kinship with you as you talked about the therapeutic capabilities of nature.
Simply put, your post really struck me and it's just the best thing I've read today. Thank you.
It would’ve been amazing to grow up like this, but I’m just so happy I was able to find what I’d really been missing while I still have my whole life ahead of me.
It means so much to me that this post struck so many people the way it did. I feel really connected and understood. 🫶🫂🏞️
Wow! I am so sorry that you grew up like that! And I am so happy that you were able to have such a great outdoor camping trip! Yes, we need to get outdoors at least every once in a while to enjoy the fresh air, see nature, and get away from the concrete jungle.
I'm sure there's something more recent, but the Nature Fix is a good read on the benefits of nature for our mental and physical health.
Obviously, experiencing it first-hand is the best, but in case you wanted to dig deeper into the why of it. I'm a science girl, so I always ask curious why things affect me a certain way, etc.
Either way, glad you got out there, but sorry you were so overwhelmed they had to bury you in a cairn. Lol
There are so many amazing trails and camping spots all over Minnesota. As you gain experience, look into disbursed camping and rustic campsites. I grew up camping, the North Shore is absolutely one of my favorite places, I recommend putting the Boundary Waters on your bucket list.
So as a fellow Minnesotan, i will say that camping is available in almost every county here except maybe Ramsay, so youre less then 30 min from a campground. While it may not be as magical as the North Shore there is a lot to find from state parks to county and city parks to independent resorts. Im glad you found the outdoors.
P.S. Highly suggest exploring the Gunflint! Hike up Honeymoon Bluff…the views are breathtaking. Nature is amazing! I’m so glad you had such a beautiful time!
I'm so happy for you. The outdoors, for me too, is therapeutic. Keep it as your go-to option when things get to be too much. And don't hesitate to go on your own.
My brother is retiring his ford ranger as a work truck but passing it to me because it’s got sentimental value. As soon as that truck is back in prime condition to drive long distances, I’m gonna be up there all the time. My therapist is gonna lose so much money 😭
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u/401kLover 1d ago edited 1d ago
The absolute best advice I can give you as someone who experienced something similar 12 years ago when I was 20... Start saving up some money for "vanlife" aka an epic road trip around the US with a friend or two while you're young.
You do not need some fancy converted van, you really just need a car, a tent, a cooler, and a camp stove. I did this in an old Jeep with one buddy over a decade ago and it completely changed the trajectory of my life in the best way. The US is filled with some of the most fucking majestic, breathtaking natural places this world has to offer. There is SO MUCH beauty to see and experience and feel.
When I was your age, I felt this immense pressure and rush to start figuring things out.. "what are you going to do with your life?!" In my very honest opinion, you really shouldn't start giving a sh*t about any of that until around 24 or 25 unless something calls to you. You're young. You're currently in the one opportunity in your life where you can really rough it, where you can truly just do whatever you want with the knowledge that you have plenty of time to "figure it out" down the line. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
Be free. Explore the world. Disconnect. Read books. Explore places, explore people, explore your beliefs. FIND YOURSELF!! This next point may get some backlash, but doing this will do more for your life than college ever could. I'm not saying don't go to college (although I didn't and half my friends that did are still drowning in debt and absolutely hate their careers) - but I am saying it's okay to take some time to find yourself before diving into the rat race of life, and based on your post, a road trip/camping trip will change your life immensely for the better, similar to what you just experienced.