When the Plan Falls Apart

Somehow, luck always seems to run on the bad side for me when it comes to electronics.

The day before I left for this trip, my phone broke. The really sad part? I had just replaced my old one two days earlier. It's been over a week and I'm still trying to get the new one fixed.

That's life for you.

You can plan for almost anything, but there's always something you forget. This time it was the first aid kit. Thankfully, it wasn't needed until the end of the trip instead of the beginning.

This event had been in the works for over a year. Locations changed, people canceled, and drama found its way into the mix because life always seems to have something waiting to weigh you down.

What started as an expected group of more than twenty people slowly dwindled down to four.

Weeks of advertising, fundraising, and planning had gone into making this event happen. We had Tony's truck packed to the brim with supplies: an oversized canopy, three tents, a trash can, a generator, a grill, and just about anything else you could imagine needing for a weekend in the woods

.

I guess some people would call this trip "glamping."

We had a porta-potty, electrical hookups, a generator, Wi-Fi, and even a little utility vehicle that barely made it up the hill but somehow managed to haul everything we needed around the mountain.

This trip was originally meant to be a gathering for our online community after our planned Ohio meetup fell through. We searched through hundreds of Hipcamp listings trying to find a location that worked for people traveling from both the north and south.

Virginia ended up being our compromise.

Our requirements were simple: it had to be private, allow generators, have access to a lake or river (that part was non-negotiable during the summer), and not care if we got a little loud.

As we drove into the property, the first thing we noticed was the steep hill. Then the railroad tracks.

Then the view.

The entire place felt peaceful and secluded, like it had been designed specifically for Instagram photos. Everywhere you looked there was another perfect backdrop.

By the time the event rolled around, we already knew turnout would be small. That didn't really matter to us. The money had already been spent, the supplies were already packed, and we were determined to enjoy ourselves regardless.

And enjoy it we did.

We floated the river, set up outdoor showers, listened to trains rumble across the tracks, and played our music as loudly as we wanted.

My favorite part was the mornings.

Being surrounded by nature, listening to the birds wake up, hearing the crickets fade away as the day began, watching the ducks walk by the garden,  and simply sitting outside by the campfire. Those quiet moments are still some of my favorite parts of camping.

At night, we relaxed and enjoyed each other's company.

Tony cooked dinner and then promptly tried to butcher his finger afterward while cleaning the knife. He wasn't even injured during the actual cooking process

.

To this day, I think he's still traumatized by it.

Since we ended up with such a small group, we decided to explore nearby Blacksburg.

We attempted an escape room and failed miserably.

Still worth it.

It was one of the best-designed escape rooms I've ever attempted.

Afterward, we wandered through downtown, explored the shops, and discovered Insomnia Cookies, where we treated ourselves to giant ice cream sandwiches that were every bit as good as they look.

When things go wrong, one thing we've gotten good at is pivoting.The event wasn't what we originally planned.

The turnout wasn't what we hoped for.

My phone broke.

Tony nearly cut his finger off.

People canceled.

Yet somehow we still had a great time. Time to float the river, explore a new town,eat an ice cream sandwhich, and build a better relationship with just a few friends.

I think maybe if I were supposed to learn a lesson from this trip, I can't quite find it.

Maybe not every adventure needs one.

Life is what you make it.