Day 280

Confession: I ditched camping after one night. I slept for one hour. Y’know…it’s not for me.

I love being outside, I hate being stuck in houses, but there’s no magic in dealing with cramped tents, public washrooms and unhinged neighbours.

After my friend went to bed a drunk white guy stopped by a campsite to flirt with drunk Asian women and he went off with one to do stuff beside the washroom wall as I was leaving. I’m not really sure why it triggered me. But it wasn’t a good omen for what was to come.

It was my dog’s first camping trip (as far as I know) and she’d bark at every noise, all night, next to my head. People didn’t stop partying until around 2am. Children softly cried at 4am, but made it sound like something straight out of a horror film.  People kept slamming trailer doors and flashing lights. Trucks bulldozed down the road right outside the campground. The other dog in our tent would start to snore the moment I finally got comfy. In the morning there was a small accumulation of clothes I threw at him.

My friend slept fine for the most part.  I wondered inwardly if my experience was so different because my dog wasn’t the only one with hypervigilance. I’ve always struggled to settle down at night. I’m happy anywhere until it comes time for me to sleep—I can’t do it unless I’m alone in my trusted space.

Sound of the day: Before this bro said “I’d drink your bath water.” 😂