Our family’s camper, located near St. Cloud, is one of my favorite places to be in the summer. Every day is always new and exciting. The camper has been a huge part of my life for ten years now. I cannot even remember not having the camper to go to in the summer months. I always find a day at the camper to be very enjoyable. Each time of the day has its own pleasing agenda.

Sometimes I will go out on the dock to watch the sun rays make their first appearance for the day. Walking out of the camper, a fresh wind surrounds me. A cup of warm coffee comforts my hands from the crisp summer air. Before the sun even rises, a wave of chirps and songs from the birds fill the silence of night. I can just see the small ripples on the lake turn from a dark blue to a blazing white from the sun’s reflection. The sound of a bass breaking through the water to catch a fly stirs the quiet morning. After I have thoroughly enjoyed the peacefulness of watching the sunrise I head back up to the camper. The sweet aroma of raspberry muffins wafts towards me as I get closer to the camper. Once everyone has enjoyed a fantastic breakfast, we relax a while and go fishing.

In the afternoon we have the objectionable job of cleaning the fish we caught in the morning. The fish cleaning house has a very distinct odor. The smell of rotting fish pierces your nostrils just by walking near it. Following that dirty job, we enjoy the fresh fish for lunch. After lunch we either go golfing or boating. When golfing, I do not usually care so much about the final score, but rather, about enjoying an activity with my family. The textured handle of the golf club reminds me of many days relaxing and having fun. When boating, we go tubing, swimming, skiing, and knee boarding, along with other water activities. My favorite is definitely tubing. The bliss of flying on the water with no worries is undeniably marvelous. Water splashes everywhere and with each small turn of the boat, the tuber gets flung across the wake to experience a whole new challenge of staying on the tube.

As the sun becomes less hot and the excitement of the afternoon slows down, evening at the camper comes. After enjoying a dinner that usually consists of burgers or brats, we might go fishing or swimming until sunset. Once the sun has disappeared and the night starts to roll in, a roaring campfire and lots of S’mores accompany us into the late night. Blazing flames from the fire dance in the dark shadows and the sound of crackling and snapping logs echoes in the quiet filled air. This is my favorite time of the day. Telling stories, laughing, listening to country music, and making memories is what campfire time is all about. When there is a clear night, we sometimes lie on the truck and watch the stars. If we are lucky, which often times we are, we will see a shooting star. Racing across the sky, leaving nothing but an aura of wonder.

All in all, life at the camper is just wonderful. I really love spending time at the camper. It is just so relaxing and enjoyable. Some days can be a little miserable because of heat, or bugs, but that happens wherever you are in the world. When I am at the camper, every day brings a new adventure. Although much of what we do is similar from day to day, it is never exactly the same. While fishing we may catch a ton of fish one day, but catch only one small sunfish the next day. At the golf course, I might have a fantastic shot on hole five, but then hit the ball deep into the woods on the next hole. The excitement of activities and new adventures always make life at the camper a thrill. This is why the only place I would really like to be on a warm summer weekend is at the camper.