My First Ever Camping Trip

So, as soon as I started dating Josh, I began hearing all about his yearly family camping trip to Havasu. Well, as you all could imagine, I've never been tent camping in my life. Motorhome camping at the beach, yes. Tent camping in the desert, on a sandbar with no showers, no. To say I panicked when Josh told me I had to go is an understatement. I am given the hardest time for being a girl that needs her hot showers, has Starbucks every morning, and hates to sweat, so imagining me out in Lake Havasu City, Arizona for 6 nights and 5 days was slightly difficult for some people, myself included. No one had more faith in me than Josh and it melted my heart every time he told me "you're going to do great." Now don't get me wrong, he told me stories to scare me away and give me a hard time, but me being me, I took the challenge and told him I would survive. And guess what? I DID! Even better? I LOVED IT! Guys, I got to relax on a sandbar surrounded by gorgeous, clear water for six days with some of the nicest, genuine, and loving people God has created.

However, i'd be lying if I said EVERYTHING was smooth sailing.

1.The first night we were there, I barely slept due to my allergies feeling like they needed to make an appearance. Thankfully, Josh's aunt and uncle were making a trip into town and got me Benadryl so I wasn't miserable the rest of the week.

2. I may have almost stepped on a scorpion. One night, I got up from the table to go down to my tent and get my sweatshirt, only to flip on my flashlight before I took my first step, to find it shining on the first scorpion I've ever seen in person. Me being me, you would expect a giant scream, right? Well I just stood there saying "uhhhhh...." until someone finally yelled "we need a shovel over here!" We found a total of 3 that trip and I was told they hadn't seen any on any other trips. Of course, leave it to the new girl to find the giant critter!

3. When Josh told me he slept on the beach every night without a tent, I looked at him like he was crazy. He literally slept on a sleeping pad with his sleeping bag and pillow and was extremely content- and he wasn't the only one! His grandparents do the same and other family members joined him throughout the week. I decided I was way too afraid of something crawling on me so I slept in my tent each night. Josh finally convinced me to camp outside the last night and I was glad I had my air mattress, sleeping bag, and blanket to keep me comfy! Gosh, i'm such a girl. Anyways, around 2:30 a.m., I woke up to yelling and a bright light shining on me. I heard men's voices yelling, "Oh, there's a boat there! Go left, go left!" followed by the voice of Josh's grandmothers yelling, "Go away! There's people here! You can't come here!" More voices starting shouting while Josh and I just sat there, half asleep, staring. I was beyond confused. Finally, I heard the men's voices say, "Oh, I think there are people here! Sorry!" I thought to myself, "No dude, these chairs, tents, and boats just magically appeared and this beach is empty." Clearly these men were intoxicated and had no idea what they were doing and of course they decided to attempt invading our campsite the one night I decide to be brave and sleep outside. Aside from that, sleeping outside was awesome and luckily the weather was gorgeous. I loved leaving our trip with a good laugh and a funny story to share with my friends and family!

Enjoy the view! :)

                                          

The view from our campsite :)

                                         

I kept my favorite Target sandals with me at all times and had prepared for this trip with other Target goodies. <3

                                          

                                          

                                          

                                          

The view of our campsite from the top of the dune!

                            

                                           

                              

                                             

                                             

Josh's family is full of believers, motivators, and encouragers who truly just want the best for their loved ones and support each other no matter what. I had numerous heartfelt conversations with so many members of his family and they all welcomed me with open arms. In some social settings where I don't know everyone, I can find myself clinging to Josh as my comfort blanket, especially when it comes to the most important people in his life, but this trip was just so natural and so comfortable for me. I truly was at ease the entire time and felt that God prepared my heart for this adventure that was completely out of my comfort zone. The fellowship and prayers just reminded me that by gaining Josh, I gained so many people that love not only love us individually, but most importantly, love us together.

                           

                                       

                                       

                                        

I hope you all got a good laugh reading this one and can see how much I've stepped out of my comfort zone the past year. Blessings and experiences like these allow me to do so!

XO

-Riley