Everything was wet from the continuous light rain as we lay in the tiny two-man pup tent that Angus had owned since he was a kid. We had tied the tent flaps up and just watched the rain drops outside hit the leaves and run off, listening to the wilderness drink it in. We had nothing to do for the weekend so we had thrown the camping gear into the Jeep and had headed out for this adventure.

We had high-dollar sleeping bags that we had bought with our wedding gift cash and the camp stove, lantern, cook kit and other various camp items were also wedding gifts. I hadn't registered for the typical china and housewares. The only thing we asked for was camping gear and this was a chance to get to try it out. We had camped our way from Missouri to our new life together in Oregon but the concentration had been on traveling, not enjoying the world around us.

The rain, our tiny tent, the fact that we had no real sense of a destination was of no concern to us then. We were young and so in love with each other and with life and with possibility. We drove through The Gorge until we found a secluded stretch of road. Angus pulled over and parked the Jeep. We walked into the wilderness a ways, found a nice little flat area with a stream gurgling below and pitched our tent... I am sure it was totally illegal to be camping there but that didn't even occur to us. The world was ours.

Now, nearly 28 years later, Angus and I are preparing for another camping trip. It will be our first alone-together camping trip since before children. We have planned and researched, and made reservations, and checked out the driving route, and made a menu and purchased items we'll need. Not exactly the impromptu path of our youth but... the world is ours.