Summer 2011 Camping Trip

A very happy Friday to you all!

Well. I started school on Monday, and so far it's been very nice! I like all of my classes, my teachers are all really great (so far), and I just have a pretty good feeling about this year in general. It's also been very nice to see all the familiar faces again after a few months of seeing just a few people. But this morning, one of my best friends, Dylan (the one who wears a suit every day...if anyone remembers this post) and I were eating some doritos in our math class, and it just made wish so badly for summer again. I realize that that probably sounds a little weird, but they were one of our main snacks on the camping trip we went on with Josh, his family, and a few of their/our friends the week before we went back to school.

It was an amazing trip. First of all, it was the longest period of time that I've ever been away from my parents for a good reason (in other words, no hospitals or sicknesses were involved). I love my family, but I just have a hard time with them sometimes. So some space was definitely nice. Second, I love everyone who went very much. Third, they're all hilarious. Fourth, it was absolutely beautiful. We were near one lake with picturesque mountains in the background, and on the way back home we stopped at another lake with turquoise-y blue water and cliffs to jump off. Our trip had the perfect ratio of forest to mountains to water to fields, too. It was just on of those things that I'll never forget. 

But anyway, here are a few (well...quite a few) of my favorite photos from the trip, including my first double exposures! All but the last 3 were taken with my Minolta Maxuum 7000.

Warning: If you are afraid of pictures, you may not want to proceed. There are a lot.

There were so many games of chess.

Josh's amazing, beautiful mother- Astrid.

This photo sums up about 60-75% of the trip: lake, chess, motorcycles, and Dylan being silly.

This is the second lake we went to. The cliffs you can jump off of range from a few inches to about 30 feet. Josh and Erik both jumped off the very top. I'm not nearly brave enough for that. I did jump from an 8-10 foot high place though, which I think is pretty brave considering the fact that I'm afraid of heights AND can't swim! Granted, I did have an inter tube and Josh (a certified lifeguard) was waiting for me in the water, but STILL!

Dylan, Erik and Josh.

Water that looks like this doesn't look like it belongs in New Mexico, but it's beautiful. 

Top: Me, Josh, Dylan, Erik, Sue
Bottom: Kate, Nina, David, Ollie, Astrid

This is one of those things that I would never have given up for anything. I just hate that it's over. But we're hoping to go camping again soon...maybe Labor Day weekend. I want to so badly!

Did you all go camping this summer?