I feel like it goes with out saying that anyone who chooses to spend their birthday camped out across town in a VW camper van is pretty awesome, but just to be clear, my mom is awesome! While most would likely lament the lack of time to go camp on a given Thursday evening, my mom packed up the camper van and headed, not across the country or on a weeks long sojourn, but approximately 4.6 miles across town to a little oasis by the sea. True to form, the VW camper van broke down within those ~4.6 said miles 🙂 And from my end, it was an absolute treat to leave the confines of my office, throw in a sleeping bag, toss in an extra scoop of bird seed for my gregarious, sloppy bird and drive across town for an escape from the routine, and a chance to celebrate my wonderful mom! My dad put on a display of his camp cook prowess, by warming our bellies and tantalizing our tastebuds with his self described “yuppie-stew” (tastes better than it sounds) and Moscow mules, shaken to perfect in a mason jar. Aside: as you can likely surmise, this camping trip in no way feigned to classify as “roughing-it.” Approximately 6 s’mores later (but who is counting), a delightful raccoon-free sleep in our tent, and cowboy coffee to start the next day later, Chris and I made the long drive home and I complete my  work assignment on time, still smelling like campfire! My mom is amazing, and this mid-week reminder that a camping adventure is always just around the corner, was a wonderful way to celebrate her fun-loving and adventurous spirit…till the next adventure!