We interrupt the regular vein of our posts about vintage travel trailers to say a few words about the reality of Girl Camping, or any camping for that matter:
It's something that you do, not just something to look at. No matter how much white lace you throw at it, real-life camping still involves gear, personal clothing, and dealing with the elements. And unless you do it solely as a hermit, it also involves the company of others who've chosen to camp with you--and whose own stuff must fit into the picture.
In other words, it's not HGTV. It's not like the pictures of people's perfect campers on Pinterest. Set your overnight bag down into an all-white, linens-laden 'glamper' gone viral on Facebook, and there goes the fantasy part.
More importantly, we think it's important to state that in real life, taking your rig out camping is not meant to be an activity that sorts you into Winner or Loser. It's not a competition for cuteness. The other people don't come there to judge you based on some secret code of standards. You don't have to possess The. Perfect. Camper. to be welcomed and accepted. Girl Camping is not about 'let me outdo ya' unless you want it to be--in which case, you'd be ignored.
Unfortunately, due to the relatively recent rise of social media with visuals, some folks have gotten the above-mentioned false impressions. This was confirmed in a recent conversation with one of our Facebook-page fans. It was the eve of her departure for her very first group campout, and instead of talking about her great anticipation, she confessed that she was terrified.
'Not good enough,' was what she feared. We assured her she was going to a party, not a persecution, and that she was about to meet new friends, not critics. When she got home, she messaged back to say, 'You were right!'
This doesn't mean we're trying to tell you to stay off Facebook and cancel the Pinterest account. Go right ahead and indulge--it's an element of the fun.
Just don't fall for the notion of perfection that you see on-screen, allowing it to hold you back or keep you sitting at home. Go places and do things now, with the means you have, and before more time gets away.
The rest will take care of itself.
