Contradictions

If there is one thing that most people who know me well know, it would be that generally I do not like the outdoors. If you are going to suggest something to do with me, and it involves being outside, there better be some other very good reason that I will want to go do this thing. And usually there will be some derogatory comment about how whatever it was would be better, if it wasn't outside.

So it is with some perplexity that I find I am ridiculously looking forward to going on a camping trip for my birthday. I'm going with H- we are going to the southern edge of the New Forest and we are also taking her horse in a trailer. We will be staying at a small campsite which has showers and toilets and will be pitching tents.

I bought a tent earlier this year to camp one night on a Common (entirely illegally) for H's birthday. And the last time before that I stayed in a tent was at Glastonbury a couple of years ago. But even back then I thought this tent thing had something going for it.

I don't know if it's related to my architectural interests or not, but there is something incredibly satisfying about erecting shelter. It's almost primal the enjoyment I get from this experience, even though my tent is modern and made of clever materials that means the actual effort I put in to erecting the tent is not all that much, but I don't care, it's still incredibly satisfying.

And then you get to stay -in-the-tent!! how cool is that??

Or maybe it's just a way of creating an indoor in the outdoors that I like about it. Honest, I have no idea, but I am really looking forward to camping. And checking out the New Forest. And going to the seashore. And going to a winery. And sitting on a horse (okay, this one is slightly more dubious, but I sort of figure I have to try it).

So yeah. I don't really try to explain it. And I have no other desire to go do things outdoors. I haven't changed my thinking about this, I'm just making an exception for a camping trip- and pretty much confusing every person that knows me in the process. Ha.