I'll just say it. I enjoy camping as long as I'm camping with someone who knows what they're doing.

Lucky for me, Staci and Jessie were on top of everything. Meanwhile, I kept track of making sure we bought enough bacon and s'mores supplies at Walmart. So I guess I'm not completely incapable of organizing a camping trip. Bacon. S'mores. Done. Let's camp.

I realized that I don't pay attention to the things I should pay attention to while camping. For example,

we went to a information center to ask which hiking trails were the best and where we should go. The ranger we spoke to was intensely telling us everything we needed to know about the hiking trails and I was more interested in his name tag. L-O-U. Lou.

Is your full name Louis? Did people ever call you Lou Lou?  I wonder if he likes his name...

While Lou was whipping out maps and highlighting trails, another park ranger came up and started talking with 2 gentleman. . . in all his British Accent GLORY. That's when I really stopped paying attention to Lou. British Accent Glory does that to me.

Example #2.

90 percent of the time I tried to help with directions, I was wrong. So then I just stopped trying to help and asked if we could go to McDonalds. Later on this trip, I had my first swig of sweet tea. Swig away, friends. I'll join y'all. (Look at me, gettin' my southern on!)

Before we left on our trip, we watched some episodes of America's Next Top Model. The next morning, we were inspired. Avocados? Wood? Spatula? Work those angles, girls.

^^This? I don't even want to hear Tyra's thoughts.^^

^^This? Quintessential girl pose. Not sure which is better^^

We started the very drizzly, foggy morning with coffee straight from the percolator into Subway cups.

^^feeling like we're on the set of LOST^^

My personal highlight of the trip was this hard-to-find trail that led us down a steep path to a river with rock walls surrounding us and waterfalls rushing off the precipice. It was the most beautiful sight, with no one around. It felt like a hidden treasure. I would have been happy to stay there all day!

^^next to the power and loud roar of the falls, the butterflies seemed even more delicate and light. A beautiful contrast, a beautiful Creator.^^

^^i love searching for pretty rocks, and for a moment i felt like i was on lake superior, on vacation with my family ^^

On our last hike Dash, Jessie's puppy, was the center of attention! People loved to stop and pet him, ask questions, and tell their own dog stories. One little girl and her Grandpa in particular loved Dash. And we loved them.

What's her name?  Jessie asked.

"Zinnia- like the flower," her Grandpa said. I knew he was her grandpa from his baseball cap that said GRANDPA to his white shirt with a picture printed on it and above text that read, "MY GRANDCHILDREN." I thought how cheezy his shirt and hat were and that I wouldn't ever wear that.

Then the adorable 2 year old, clinging to her Grandpa's neck smiled big and said, "Guah gee? Guah gee!" Suddenly all I wanted to be was a grandma, hiking with my 2 year old grand baby, wearing my GRANDMA hat and GRANDMA shirt, too.

Her chubby hands grabbed Dash's paw. "Guah gee feet? Guah gee feet!" she laughed, looking at her grandpa and oh my word,

CAN I BE YOUR GRANDMA??

I don't know what happened to me.

We said goodbye to Zinnia and I collected myself though my arms and body ached, which probably was due to holding a heavy bag and hiking up steep terrain for hours. But let's be real.

Transition picture:

You're welcome.

One last story: a guy ("Uh, the one in the pink shirt with the hat on backwards...") scribbled "call me" and his number on a napkin at Waffle House and asked the waiter ("I'm just the messenger...") to bring it over to my table with my bowl of grits.

Stay classy,

E