The Great Outdoors

This isn't in reference to the movie - and this wasn't my idea, it was Sean's (so I can't take credit for creativity on this one). That said, while I'm not normally a huge fan of camping, this date idea turned out to be a lot of fun.

Yesterday morning, I woke up to find a tent in our backyard and our fire pit pulled out of storage. Some might think this a bit odd, but I knew what Sean had in mind. Last weekend we tried camping at a local campground and it turned out to be a disaster (go figure that we would pick the one rainy weekend in September). Offhandedly I told him we should have just pitched a tent in our own backyard - at least then we could have come inside when it rained! Clearly he took my idea to heart, so we spent a night camping in the backyard.

While the idea might sound a tad odd, it turned out to be a lot of fun, and oddly enough, rather romantic. To start the evening, Sean barbequed up some hamburgers and white corn for dinner. It made for a good meal, but for those wanting a more traditional approach to camping, you could always roast hot dogs over the fire instead. After dinner, Sean built a fire and we spent an hour or so talking and roasting marshmallows for s’mores (calories don’t count when you’re camping). On Friday nights I always get tired early from the long work week, so around 9 pm we retired to the tent. Sean brought out his laptop and we watched a movie for the next few hours, before turning in for the night. Because we were at home and had access to a few more luxuries, we were able to use the air mattress rather than sleep on the hard ground of our backyard. This morning I woke up well rested and nestled quite comfortably into my sleeping bag – this will definitely be a repeat date in the future!

Please note, however, that this date does require camping equipment and a backyard. Should you not have camping equipment, this could turn out to be a very expensive date as tents, sleeping bags, and the like all add up very quickly. However, if you know someone who has equipment they wouldn't mind lending you, this date can practically cost nothing. If you don't have any access to a tent, you can always sleep under the stars in just a sleeping bag, which is equally romantic (just make sure you’re okay with waking up to some morning dew on your sleeping bag).

In the winter, once the rain becomes a more common occurrence, this date could easily be replicated by pitching a tent in your living room and roasting s’mores over the oven. In fact, Sean and I may need to try that at some point this winter. Or, if putting up a tent inside seems like too much work, you could always revert back to your childhood days and build a fort out of blankets – now that would be fun!

For those who don’t have a backyard, most local campgrounds aren't that expensive, costing about $20 a night or you can use the winter date variation and camp inside.

Dinner
Hamburger Patties: $5.99
Hamburger Buns: $.99
Pack of White Corn: $2.49

S'mores
Graham Crackers: $2.09
2 Chocolate Bars: $1.99
Marshmallows: $3.39

Total Date Cost: $16.94