Each year I look forward to my family’s annual camping trip in July with eager excitement. We’ve been going to the same campground for 14 years now and somehow, it feels like an extension of my own home. Thanks to the idyllic weather, the campground was completely full when my family and I were there this past weekend and I was suddenly hit by the absurdity of it all: so many of us love to go camping, yet what is camping, really? Why do we pay money year after year to live on a site for a few days without electricity or proper food and shelter, besides what we provide ourselves?

Many people have asked me these kinds of questions when I express how much I enjoy spending these days and nights in the great outdoors. There are countless reasons I could give them, but I think it really boils down to a few important points.

An obvious reason to love camping is the sense of adventure that accompanies being outdoors for so long. There’s nothing like seeing a bear only a few feet away or hearing cracks of lightning from inside your tent at night to liven up your vacation. You never know what Mother Nature will throw at you next (A beautiful day? A chilly night? Torrential rain?), but the unexpectedness of it all is half the fun. Not only do these constant surprises make for an exciting camping trip, but they also provide plenty of memorable stories to tell around your next campfire.

The next joy of camping is a much more relaxing one: camping provides the opportunity to unplug and recharge. The amount of technology and content we’re constantly flooded with can feel overwhelming at times. Spending a few days in the great outdoors forces you to disconnect from all of that, at least for a little while. It’s incredibly liberating to simply be present in the moment without having to worry about checking your phone every five minutes. There’s so much out there to experience, from hiking and swimming to roasting s’mores around the campfire, that it seems almost like a waste of time to be tethered to technology. It will still be there when you return to civilization, and a little break now and then surely does everyone some good.

Finally (and arguably most importantly), we go through the hassle of lugging our belongings to the middle of nowhere in order to live like cavemen because it allows us to spend quality time with friends and family. There are so many traditions involved with camping that it’s honestly difficult not to make some hilarious and lasting memories. Whether you’re lounging by the lake or sitting around the campfire, you’re bound to form closer bonds with the people you care about.

And remember that sense of adventure? That comes into play here, too. When the rain is pouring down and all that’s left to do is play a few card games in the tent until it stops, you can be sure that you’ll be brought closer together. Sometimes what seems like bad luck at first can actually turn out to be good fortune.

And there you have it. Camping is probably my favorite thing about summer, even though it may seem a bit strange or counterintuitive at a quick glance. When you strip away the everyday luxuries we convince ourselves we can’t live without, you’d be surprised by how much more you actually possess.