It was Saturday night, and Karen was sitting by a campfire. If someone had asked her two days ago how she thought she would be spending her Saturday night, camping would have been the furthest thing from her mind. But that morning, Erin had called, freaking out. Her daughter’s Girl Scout troop was going camping that night, and the other mom scheduled to help out came down with the flu. No one else was coming, and she couldn’t handle eleven girls by herself.

            So Karen packed a duffel bag and went camping. And she liked it. She liked being surrounded by nature, and seeing the stars. The air felt different somehow, clearer, fresher. They made s’mores and sang campfire songs. They told ghost stories – at least, until one of the younger girls started to cry. Karen hadn’t felt this alive and young in a long time.

            But when Monday came, Karen was still surprised when she decided to look up local camping spots. Never before had she thought camping would be enjoyable, but maybe this weekend had changed that. Going camping once or twice a month, really get out there with nature, back to the basics to escape the craziness of work and life – it was worth looking into.

            This new Karen was surprising herself every day, and she liked that.