Guest post by Tyler Thursby<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

We arrived to our campsite sometime in the early afternoon; my friend Mark who had a penchant for anything that involved the outdoors and his girlfriend Alice, who was always game for spontaneous plans.<\/p>\n

This camping trip was about as spontaneous as it gets \u2013 a half-hearted joke about moving to the woods over dinner evolved into a \u2018well, why not camp tomorrow?\u2019 conversation, Alice finally offering to drive us. Three hours and one detour to greasy diner later, we\u2019d successfully managed to leave civilization behind.<\/p>\n

I was soon to realize I didn\u2019t arrive on this trip prepared. Anyone going camping owes it to themselves to research the area beforehand and become acquainted with the land. That\u2019s a camping ground rule everyone should abide by.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid anyone actually check the weather report for the weekend?\u201d Alice asked as she started removing fold-up chairs from the back of the Suburban. I looked to Mark in an admittance of my own ineptitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah \u2026 couple days back. We should be good,\u201d he said, helping Alice lower a heavy cooler from the trunk of the car. Mark looked at me and shrugged, which essentially meant he only made the previous statement in an attempt to appease Alice. Oh well<\/i>, I thought, we\u2019re here now.<\/i><\/p>\n

We quickly settled into the campsite, Alice breaking into a bag of turkey dogs to roast over the modest fire Mark and I had teamed together to build. As I peered across the flames, the light dancing across Alice and Mark\u2019s faces as we laughed about old times, I felt as though there was no place else I\u2019d rather be.<\/p>\n

As Alice was recounting tales from her turbulent student teaching internship, a roll of thunder interrupted her. We all peered overhead but couldn\u2019t make out any storm clouds, in the midst of engaging conversation it had become night time.<\/p>\n

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