The Journey to Totality

We had a fantastic time camping with a group of people that started as strangers and ended as friends.

We traveled to Glenrock, Wyoming, to experience the magic of seeing a total eclipse. I just want to say that it was absolutely worth it! The experience of being under totality is not something I can quite put into words, but I can share in video!

Camping, with my fibromyalgia, is a scary experience. When you don't know how you will feel from day to day, hour to hour, small comforts and logistics like being able to rest in the heat of the day  become far bigger issues than you could anticipate.

The things that I learned this trip were:

• The air mattress topped with egg crate cushion and a wool blanket really was good for sleeping! I took sheets to put on it, and topped it with a quilt. I knew I would sleep far better with sheets than with the sensation of the sleeping bag on my skin. However I was glad I stuck in a sleeping bag as a "just in case it is really chilly" topper, because we did end up putting it on top of us a couple nights.
• I need to remember a HAT for sleeping though, because my head was freezing.
• I must find a way to pee in the tent or nearby at night, because the temperature change from the warm covers to the cold night, followed by a lengthy walk to the outhouse was really miserable and painful. One night I put it off far too long, and realized I needed to squat by a bush near the tent. I lost my balance and rolled down a small hill with my pants down. I didn't hurt myself at all, but the struggle to control my hysterical giggles at 2am, in a campground with tents 10 feet from mine, was nearly impossible!
• There is no way to rest in a tent in the middle of the day. Unless you have shade, it will become a hot stuffy dome. 
• Packing a free standing hammock frame, and a lightweight hammock, was a lifesaver. I could move it to the shade and lay down in the heat of the day. It felt like a luxury to pack, but it is an essential from now on.
• Splurging on the most comfortable camp chair you can find is worth every single penny.

We had hoped to fit in one more camping trip this summer, but life got busy. However the camping gear is all set and ready to load up in the spring, and we look forward to camping frequently next summer!