When I was around five years old, my parents decided to embark on a family camping trip to New Mexico. It’s still a mystery what sparked this adventurous journey, as we were not particularly inclined towards nature. Nevertheless, they were eager to dive into the experience of tent camping in the mountains and bask in the beauty of the great outdoors. Looking back, it’s clear why that became our first and last camping trip.
Our family of enthusiastic explorers flew from Southern California to New Mexico, ready for a mountain getaway. Unfortunately, our flight faced significant delays due to storms, and by the time we arrived in Santa Fe, it was nearly midnight. After an excruciating wait at baggage claim, we discovered that a portion of our luggage, including our tent and key camping gear, had been sent to the airplane’s next stop. Faced with the choice of spending money on a hotel or heading to the campsite without our supplies, my parents opted for the latter, determined to make the most of the situation.
We were fortunate that the rental car office was open 24/7, and we picked up a shiny new vehicle with only seven miles on the odometer—although we soon learned that luck was not on our side. My parents navigated the moonlit mountain roads and, without a tent to sleep in, decided to use the sleeping bags outside while I snoozed in the car to stay warm.
Then, in the dead of night, I woke up disoriented and alone in the dark. Panic set in when I realized I couldn’t find my mom, and that’s when my parents discovered they had accidentally locked the keys inside the car. My mom attempted to calm me down while instructing me on how to unlock the door, but I was too frazzled to follow her directions.
In a moment of desperation, my mom told my stepdad, Dave, to grab a rock to break the window. Dave, a gentle soul, was overwhelmed and picked up a small boulder. As my mom yelled for me to duck and cover, Dave threw the rock with surprising force, shattering the window and sending glass flying inside the car. With both rear windows broken, my warm sleeping spot was gone, and we were all rattled. My parents decided it was best to abandon the camping plan and find a motel instead.
However, descending the mountain in complete darkness proved challenging. With the moon obscured by clouds and only headlights for guidance, Dave took a wrong turn and slid off the road into a shallow ditch. In the process, a low branch cracked the windshield, adding to our misfortune. My mom thought, at least it wasn’t as bad as the back windows.
Dave then attempted to reverse out of the ditch, but the tires seemed to be slipping. Opening his door to assess the situation, he pressed on the gas. The car lurched backward, but in the chaos, we careened past a stump that ripped off the driver’s side door. With the door now in the trunk, they managed to continue down the mountain, though not without a few additional hiccups.
As dawn broke, they arrived back at the rental car lot, where the rental agent’s face reflected horror and disbelief at the sight of the car, which now bore 30 miles on the odometer but looked like it had survived a battle. It sported a cracked windshield, no driver’s side door, two shattered rear windows, and was riding on the rim of a tire—though no one could explain why.
The agent took the keys in silence, and after paying the deductible, my parents learned a valuable lesson: always get insurance. So, if you’re considering a camping trip, or any adventure for that matter, remember to prepare well, or just opt for the comfort of home. If you’re looking for a different kind of adventure, check out the home insemination kit for your family planning needs. For more information on family fertility options, TFP Boston Place Fertility is a great authority, and NHS provides excellent resources on pregnancy and home insemination.
In summary, our ill-fated camping trip will forever be etched in our memories as an adventure gone awry. Opting for the wilderness over a cozy hotel room led to a series of unfortunate events that turned our family outing into a wild story to tell.