All day you check your phone, look at the latest posts on your feed, exit out and repeat. Perhaps you're stuck in the library typing up some notes for summer school. Or maybe you're in the car driving to work while flipping through different radio stations. Either way, you're most likely caught up in the hustle and bustle of your own life, and can't even remember the last time you got away -- like, really got away. Away from your phone, away from your textbooks and away from the constant buzzing of human activity.
The other weekend, my friends and I took a short vacation to the Los Angeles Forest for a camping trip. We've gone camping several other times before as well, and each time I come back from one of our getaways, I always feel so relaxed and recharged. This is definitely because every good camping trip only requires three things: stellar views, great friends and zero cell service.
Our generation is so attached to technology that going somewhere where Snapchat doesn't work is worse than the idea of getting a limb chopped off. But that's the beauty of camping. Without having phones as a distraction, you are forced to focus on what's in front of you, which is your friends. It gives you an opportunity to spend quality time with your friends and give them your full, undivided attention for copious amounts of time. It's even better when some people you may not be particularly close to are along for the ride because it gives both parties a chance to learn more about one another and possibly form a solid foundation for a friendship. Another plus to not having cell service is having to get creative in order to have fun. By trying out activities you and your friends have never done before, it creates a chance for you all to bond and make even more memories together through that experience.
When you find the perfect camping spot with a breathtaking view, you wouldn't even want to check your phone even if you did have service. One of my favorite things to do when camping is pitching the tent (or, rather, pretending to help pitch the tent), setting up the fold-out chairs and picnic blanket, and admiring the scenery with my friends next to me. Taking time away from the city really makes me appreciate the beautiful sights, smells, and sounds of nature. It takes me away from reality for a bit, slows down life, and my problems seem to just escape my mind for the time being. Watching the sunset in the middle of the forest is honestly one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
If you've been feeling stressed out lately or if you just want to spend some cheap quality time with your friends, then I really urge you to spend the weekend out on a camping trip. If the idea of being away from your phone that long gives you separation anxiety, then try going for a hike instead and take baby steps until you can fully commit. There's something about being in nature that really rejuvenates the soul and it is a feeling everyone deserves.
