Topic of Choice: Beach Camping

Beach camping has been one of the best and worst experiences of my life. My mom, sister, and I started this annual tradition three years ago. We had already been going camping in the mountains several years prior to that and we wanted to try something different. When July came around, we packed the car to the brim and left early for Ocracoke Island. 

It was a 3-hour car ride coupled with a 1-hour ferry ride. When we arrived to the campground, we found the perfect camping spot. It was isolated from every other spot and even had its own private path through the sand dunes to the beach. Sand dunes were the only thing separating our tent from the crashing waves of the ocean. It was fun, at first. We were enamored with our campsite, but not so much with the heat. It was ridiculously hot, even with the ocean breeze. At night time, the unsettling heat did not pass. Naturally with hot days comes thunderstorms. The second night we were there, we experienced an intense thunderstorm. My dog and I were the only ones concerned about it apparently--my mom and my sister slept right through it with no problem. 

During the days we were there, we spent all of our time on the beach, so much so that we got sick of it. By the end of the fifth day, we wanted nothing more than to go home where we would be far away from the sand and surrounded by grass and trees. Although we did nothing but complain nearly the entire time, it was an unbelievably beautiful experience. Ignoring the sand, heat, and humidity, camping on the beach was peaceful, severing our connection with the commonplace for a couple days. We continue to do this every year so, the beauty and fun we have far outweighs the complaints we make.