You would never call me "one with nature." I am not a fan of the outdoors. I don't mean the "outside." Give me the sun, some sand, and the ocean any day. I mean the "outdoors"... as in tall grass, lots of trees, creepy crawlies, and wild animals that require traps to be set.
I will never own a cabin.
I will never live somewhere in which a view of the road is blocked by trees.
You will never, ever, hear me say, "Yeah, Michael and I are packing up our sleeping bags and taking the boys camping this weekend."
Fortunately, I married a man who shares my opinions. If he can't plug in the charger to his Nintendo DS and I can't plug in my hair dryer, we aren't going.
I am writing this while on our summer vacation with my husband, my boys, my mom, and my stepdad, Jim. My mom and Jim treated us to two weeks in a lake house at Deep Creek Lake. This is the third time we've been to the lake and we love it. The house is gorgeous - air conditioning, floor to ceiling windows, remote control fireplace, dishwasher, washer/dryer, an outdoor hot tub, and two bathrooms. My husband and I were discussing the other day how Deep Creek Lake is as close as we get to "roughing it." And by roughing it, I mean we have to walk in grass that hits just above our ankles to get to the dock and we have to wear swim shoes, because the bottom of the lake is muddy and rocky.
We are not snobs; we are too poor to be snobs. We just think that God gave us mattresses, air conditioning, and running water for a reason and we should take advantage of it.
That's not to say that I am an anti-environmentalist. I love our planet and I do what I can to save it. I recycle, I turn the water off while I brush my teeth, and I do... other stuff. I appreciate nature, even if I don't like being in it.
Last night, after my mom and Jim went to bed and the boys fell asleep, Michael and I took the baby monitor and some iced tea, and headed out to the hot tub. As the warm bubbles surrounded us and the multiple jets massaged our backs, we sat back and observed the outdoors in all it's glory. The cool wind blowing through our hair, the chirping of the evening bugs, the smell of the lake a few feet away, and the clear sky, lit up with stars, was all quite breathtaking.
"Wow," Michael said, "This is just gorgeous."
I took a deep relaxing breath, closed my eyes, and agreed.
About three minutes later, I opened my eyes.
"Michael, I'm kind of hot. Let's go back in to the air conditioning."
"Oh, good," he said, clearing the side of the hot tub in one leap, to the deck. "I was hoping you'd say that. Let's go watch some T.V."
*sigh* We're soulmates I tell ya.
