They were. It's ingrained from the moment they can start exploring. From my toddler wanting to ride his little car down the big hill in the street, to the boys digging up onions, to my grown man white water rafting. The sense of adventure is there - wanting to escape at every possible moment.
Two of my boys decided to take some manly adventure just this weekend. Last year Dan started telling Zack that he would like to take him on his first backpacking trip. They would hike into the woods with everything they needed on their backs. They would pick a remote camping spot in the wilderness, cook their food over a fire, and be engrossed in nature.
A year passed by. A few weeks ago the dreamed of camping trip came up again. "I really think you should take him this year," I told Dan, "He's really looking forward to the adventure, and he's almost 12." Before the words left my mouth, I wanted to take them back. "Almost 12." Old enough to go backpacking. I've got to stop blinking!
The weather this weekend was supposed to be perfect and we had no previous plans, so the backpacking trip planning went into high gear. Friday evening was spent cooking, packing, and excitedly discussing details. Dan crawled into the attic and dug out the dusty backpacking gear. We only have one "real" backpacking sleeping bag, so Dan did his best to roll an old army one into as small a roll as possible. As if "small" can be in the same sentence as "army sleeping bag."
"Zack," Dan said as they stuffed more and more stuff into the large backpacks, "What would you think about just setting up camp and then hiking into the wilderness instead of carrying everything in?" "Oh no," answered Zack, "We have to carry everything INTO the wilderness and camp there!" Dan looked over at me with a bit of anguish in his eyes. "It was your idea," I reminded him. "It was a moment of weakness!" Dan whispered desperately.
I laughed.
"Where are the matches?" Dan asked me. Zack cut in before I could reply, "We don't need matches, Dad. I have my magnesium fire starter! It will be a real wilderness experience!" "I'm throwing in the matches," Dan whispered to me again. "Just in case...." "Oh, I'm sure you won't need them," I teasingly replied, "You have the magnesium fire starter."
I laughed again.
The backpacks were packed and ready to be tried on. Zack put on his and acted like it would be nothing to haul it for miles on end. Dan put his on and made no bones about the fact that it would be way more than nothing (close to excruciating) to haul that huge monstrosity with the military sleeping bag swinging off of it for miles on end. He suggested the camping and then hiking option again.
I laughed.
The next day, with great anticipation of many adventures my men got in the car and headed off where cell phones don't work, fire is made without matches, and bears and mountain lions roam. I gave Dan a hug and told him to enjoy sleeping on the "soft" ground.
He laughed.
They arrived back home this afternoon with tales of heavy packs, fires that were actually started with magnesium fire starter, killer crows, rain, waterfalls, miles of hiking, and swimming in a cold creek in March.
Adventure. That's what they had. Real live, self made adventure. Memories. That's what they made. Memories that won't ever be forgotten.
enjoyed this one greatly especialy Zack's input
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