Ah, April – the hope that winter is finally over, the promise of warmer days, and for me, the signal that camping season is upon us once again. With over 40 years of camping adventures under my belt, it’s safe to say that my relationship with the great outdoors has seen its fair share of evolution.

As a child, camping was synonymous with sleeping beneath the starry night sky, cocooned in a sleeping bag, bellies full of freshly toasted marshmallows and dreaming of the adventure that awaited us. That is, until the heavens decided to open up and rain on our parade – quite literally. Suddenly, our cozy family tent became a game of human Tetris, with six of us crammed into a space meant for four.

Yet, rain or shine, the camping bug had bitten, and I found myself spending weekends in the wilderness (usually primitive camping as funds were tight) through my teens and college years with many friends. Those grainy photos snapped on disposable cameras (remember those?) are some of my most treasured memories. The wait to see what would be developed was equally exhilarating because you really never knew what had been captured.

But as adulthood beckoned, so did the call for more civilized accommodations. Enter the pop-up camper – our gateway drug to luxury camping. Sure, the packing was a tad less chaotic, but the sauna-like conditions inside on a hot day made us question if we were truly upgrading or just fooling ourselves. Setting it up seemed even more challenging than the tent if you can believe it. It was this stage where I learned to back a trailer, kind of. I admit, this is a skill I have still not mastered!

Of course, no camping journey is complete without a few unexpected twists and turns. Like the time our brand-new travel trailer arrived just in time to become our family’s home during the 2011 Mouse River flood in Minot. What was supposed to be a leisurely upgrade turned into a 5-month long adventure in camper living, as we parked our 30-foot home-on-wheels wherever kindness and space allowed.

Living through a natural disaster in a travel trailer wasn’t exactly the glamorous adventure we had in mind, but it taught us resilience, resourcefulness, and the importance of community in times of crisis. Those months may have put a temporary damper on my husband’s camping enthusiasm, but true love (and a well-stocked cooler) eventually won out.

Since then, our trusty travel trailer has become our ticket to adventure and relaxation as well as introducing us to many fellow adventurers along the way. We count ourselves lucky to call North Dakota home, with its endless opportunities for outdoor adventures and camping opportunities just waiting to be explored.

So, this month, I say dust off your camping gear, gather your loved ones, and find your happy place in one of the many campgrounds across the state. Whether it’s the brisk chill of early spring, perfect evening of summer or the golden hues of late fall, there’s magic to be found in every season and every campfire tale. As for me, you’ll find me out there this weekend, braving the cooler temps and reveling in the joy of early season camping – because some adventures are simply too good to wait for. Here’s to new adventures and the memories created in the great North Dakota outdoors!