On Friday at 4:30 pm, after a very long day with children clinging to my legs and arms, I was let out of work and walked quickly to my car very excited for what lay ahead of me. I had a five hour drive to tackle, and was fully prepared. With two liters of welchs Grape Juice next to me and Harry Potter on Audio Disc, I was ready to drive to Lancaster PA, to meet my cousin for a weekend of camping.
So, if you are a human and over the age of 5, you probably know that a five hour drive starting at 4:30 means that you will probably not arrive at your destination until late at night! Well, I also made that calculation, planning on arriving around 9:30. Foolishly choosing the shortest distance to drive, I clicked my GPS onto GO and began my trip.
Three hours later, while sitting in very heavy traffic in the MIDDLE of New York City with the sun already set behind a curtain of city, I realized my mistake. Without consulting with anyone about the best route to Lancaster, I had just looked at the GPS and chose the shortest route. So, there I sat, in NYC, in the dark, alone, for much too long. Traffic picked up, and I was moving for most of the time, but I was surrounded by fast moving vehicles, wishing I had taken the longer but emptier roads.
After somehow messing up a toll booth ticket and having to pay some random dude 40 dollars because I didn't get a ticket somewhere, I was close to the campground where I was meeting Emily, who also drove five hours from Virginia Beach, where she goes to school.
I called her to let her know I was close, when she nervously said "Uh, Sara, I'm here and no one is in the office." I blew off the comment explaining that on the phone they had told me they'd leave our envelope with our reservation information on the door. She continued to tell me, yes, there was an envelope, but it was not for us, with someone else's name on it.
I told her to just hang out and wait for me, and 20 minutes later, I arrived. We looked around for anyone on staff, for anything resembling an envelope, and even called the campgrounds "Late Night/Emergency Number" but no one answered.
We had our stuff, and food and a stove for dinner, so we decided to not let it bother us too much, and to set up our stove to make dinner. What could go wrong, right? We parked our cars an even amount of distance from each other, just enough to set up two hammocks to sleep in. We were going to make spaghetti with marinara sauce for dinner. I lit the stove, and instantly, it poofed.
We had run out of butane.
I couldn't think of anything else that could go wrong with the night. I was hungry, annoyed about dropping 40 bucks at a stupid toll both, and even more upset that our reservation had been forgotten and we had no real place to sleep. Emily and I decided to just go to Walmart in the morning and to just settle with peanut butter and jelly for dinner. It was a very anti-climactic night. We settled into our hammocks after a hardly-satisfying meal and fell asleep quickly. I was tired, but I was also quite stressed about what might happen when staff pulled into the campground drive in the morning and saw two people hammocked in the parking lot. As I drifted to sleep, my mind began imagining the worst, that they'd get mad, or call the cops, (all stupid thoughts, but I was so tired I wasn't thinking straight.)
I drifted in and out of sleep all night, trying to stay on alert, sleeping anxiously. Finally, around 6 am, a staff truck pulled into the lot. I got out of my hammock and walked up to him sleepily. I explained what had happened and he quickly unlocked the office and we went in, and he turned on the computers. (I'm sure I looked a mess, hair everywhere, in sweats and a big shirt.)
He found my reservation and explained how somehow "the computer" had cancelled it. I explained to him that, no, we didn't cancel our trip, and here we were, after arriving the night before.
He apologized profusely, and gave us a gate key so we could enter the actual camp ground. He even let me pick out the camp site. I woke Emily up, and we drove up the hill and parked our cars at our official sight, and went back to sleep in our cars.
We slept until 8:30, and together walked up the hill to the pavilion where a continental breakfast was being served. (we had not known about the breakfast until that morning, and it was very nice to not have to set up camp and cook, since we were sleepy and not unpacked.)
The guy that was flipping pancakes was the same guy that checked me in at 6 am that morning. He greeted us kindly, as we did them, and then told us that the whole weekend would be free to compensate for us sleeping in the parking lot!
They were very friendly staff, and very apologetic for their mistake, and we were very thankful for there hospitality from there on.
During our breakfast we met a very night christian couple who we got to chat with for a while. They must have enjoyed our company, because at the end of our meal, they offered us a coupon for a free buggy ride in town, and walked us back to their camper where they gave us that, and their phone number. They must have been in their late 50's. The coupon was just because they liked us so much, and the number was incase we ever needed a place in Jersey Shore. The only catch was that they had two sons, 23 and 25 years old, that they wanted us to meet. ;)
They were so funny, and so kind. We laughed and on our walk back to our own site, decided that if we ever did need a place in Jersey Shore, that we'd certainly give them a call. I had to explain to them that I was in a very happy relationship, but that Emily was still a single pringle and wouldn't argue meeting one of their sons. Too funny!
We decided to drive into town and explore and go on our free Horse and Buggy ride. We shopped, went for our ride, and shopped some more. There was a festival in Kitchen Kettle Village, where we got yummy treats and explored some beautiful stores full of Amish trade.
So, if you are a human and over the age of 5, you probably know that a five hour drive starting at 4:30 means that you will probably not arrive at your destination until late at night! Well, I also made that calculation, planning on arriving around 9:30. Foolishly choosing the shortest distance to drive, I clicked my GPS onto GO and began my trip.
Three hours later, while sitting in very heavy traffic in the MIDDLE of New York City with the sun already set behind a curtain of city, I realized my mistake. Without consulting with anyone about the best route to Lancaster, I had just looked at the GPS and chose the shortest route. So, there I sat, in NYC, in the dark, alone, for much too long. Traffic picked up, and I was moving for most of the time, but I was surrounded by fast moving vehicles, wishing I had taken the longer but emptier roads.
After somehow messing up a toll booth ticket and having to pay some random dude 40 dollars because I didn't get a ticket somewhere, I was close to the campground where I was meeting Emily, who also drove five hours from Virginia Beach, where she goes to school.
I called her to let her know I was close, when she nervously said "Uh, Sara, I'm here and no one is in the office." I blew off the comment explaining that on the phone they had told me they'd leave our envelope with our reservation information on the door. She continued to tell me, yes, there was an envelope, but it was not for us, with someone else's name on it.
I told her to just hang out and wait for me, and 20 minutes later, I arrived. We looked around for anyone on staff, for anything resembling an envelope, and even called the campgrounds "Late Night/Emergency Number" but no one answered.
We had our stuff, and food and a stove for dinner, so we decided to not let it bother us too much, and to set up our stove to make dinner. What could go wrong, right? We parked our cars an even amount of distance from each other, just enough to set up two hammocks to sleep in. We were going to make spaghetti with marinara sauce for dinner. I lit the stove, and instantly, it poofed.
We had run out of butane.
I couldn't think of anything else that could go wrong with the night. I was hungry, annoyed about dropping 40 bucks at a stupid toll both, and even more upset that our reservation had been forgotten and we had no real place to sleep. Emily and I decided to just go to Walmart in the morning and to just settle with peanut butter and jelly for dinner. It was a very anti-climactic night. We settled into our hammocks after a hardly-satisfying meal and fell asleep quickly. I was tired, but I was also quite stressed about what might happen when staff pulled into the campground drive in the morning and saw two people hammocked in the parking lot. As I drifted to sleep, my mind began imagining the worst, that they'd get mad, or call the cops, (all stupid thoughts, but I was so tired I wasn't thinking straight.)
I drifted in and out of sleep all night, trying to stay on alert, sleeping anxiously. Finally, around 6 am, a staff truck pulled into the lot. I got out of my hammock and walked up to him sleepily. I explained what had happened and he quickly unlocked the office and we went in, and he turned on the computers. (I'm sure I looked a mess, hair everywhere, in sweats and a big shirt.)
He found my reservation and explained how somehow "the computer" had cancelled it. I explained to him that, no, we didn't cancel our trip, and here we were, after arriving the night before.
He apologized profusely, and gave us a gate key so we could enter the actual camp ground. He even let me pick out the camp site. I woke Emily up, and we drove up the hill and parked our cars at our official sight, and went back to sleep in our cars.
We slept until 8:30, and together walked up the hill to the pavilion where a continental breakfast was being served. (we had not known about the breakfast until that morning, and it was very nice to not have to set up camp and cook, since we were sleepy and not unpacked.)
The guy that was flipping pancakes was the same guy that checked me in at 6 am that morning. He greeted us kindly, as we did them, and then told us that the whole weekend would be free to compensate for us sleeping in the parking lot!
They were very friendly staff, and very apologetic for their mistake, and we were very thankful for there hospitality from there on.
During our breakfast we met a very night christian couple who we got to chat with for a while. They must have enjoyed our company, because at the end of our meal, they offered us a coupon for a free buggy ride in town, and walked us back to their camper where they gave us that, and their phone number. They must have been in their late 50's. The coupon was just because they liked us so much, and the number was incase we ever needed a place in Jersey Shore. The only catch was that they had two sons, 23 and 25 years old, that they wanted us to meet. ;)
They were so funny, and so kind. We laughed and on our walk back to our own site, decided that if we ever did need a place in Jersey Shore, that we'd certainly give them a call. I had to explain to them that I was in a very happy relationship, but that Emily was still a single pringle and wouldn't argue meeting one of their sons. Too funny!
We decided to drive into town and explore and go on our free Horse and Buggy ride. We shopped, went for our ride, and shopped some more. There was a festival in Kitchen Kettle Village, where we got yummy treats and explored some beautiful stores full of Amish trade.
We spent the day shopping, with a break around lunchtime for our spaghetti, and around 7, made it back to our campground for an amazing home cooked meal. We made a full dinner, ate and laughed and ate some more, and just enjoyed each other's company.
The weekend was incredible, we spend much needed time together. We slept much better that night, and the next day I was reminded of God's Sovereignty. Why did I let things going wrong stress me out so much? God is still God, and in control. He had us in mind the whole time, and my stress didn't change any outcome. I got to spend the whole weekend with my partner in crime and my longest friend. Born two months apart, our parents were siblings and we shared a bond that was deeper than just friends. Best friends since she was born, joined at the hip for the majority of our lives, we are so blessed to have grown up together. This trip was good for my soul, I needed a break, and my time with her is short, because of the miles between her college in Virginia and my home in the Capitol District.
God's eye is on a little sparrow, so I know He watches me.
Thanks God
The weekend was incredible, we spend much needed time together. We slept much better that night, and the next day I was reminded of God's Sovereignty. Why did I let things going wrong stress me out so much? God is still God, and in control. He had us in mind the whole time, and my stress didn't change any outcome. I got to spend the whole weekend with my partner in crime and my longest friend. Born two months apart, our parents were siblings and we shared a bond that was deeper than just friends. Best friends since she was born, joined at the hip for the majority of our lives, we are so blessed to have grown up together. This trip was good for my soul, I needed a break, and my time with her is short, because of the miles between her college in Virginia and my home in the Capitol District.
God's eye is on a little sparrow, so I know He watches me.
Thanks God