Into my own

For the past fifteen years, my parents had taken the pleasure of packing up their car with our tent, an ice chest, three fishing rods, and basic hygiene essentials. All items were necessary to survive our family's weekend camping trip in the woods. At age thirteen, my parents dared me that I could not last one night in our backyard alone. Much to their surprise, I did! My only invocation was that we would have to camp out every year. What originally began as a challenge has now turned into a family tradition of a week-long trek through some of the world's renowned national parks. More recently though, my mom had broken her leg in two places trying to prevent Beacon, our family's golden retriever, from running into the street after a squirrel, and my dad called to tell me that they are not able to make the trip this year.

"Izzy, your mom and I hate to disappoint you, but there is just no way that I can expect her to have a good time when she won't be able to take part in any of the activities. We're going to stay home, but you know that you are more than welcome to visit with us here. It'll be like old times," remarked my dad, unabashedly. "We can pitch the tent right outside, roast s'mores, and tell stories by the campfire. What do you say, kiddo?"

Although he couldn't see my face over the telephone-my parents still used an old rotary phone with the circular dial pad-I managed to smile a little. Partly because my dad still called me kiddo, and secondly because he had not changed. He always tried to make the best out of any given situation. "Dad," I replied gently, "I was really looking forward to a break from the city life. Unfortunately, that break includes both Crystal Springs and New Providence. I will consider it, but if nothing else, I will be sure to fly in towards the end of my vacation to check in on you and mom."

I did not have the heart to tell my parents that my idea of an adult vacation no longer consisted of singing folklore songs, roasting marshmallows, and eating hot dogs around a fire. While that sort of thing did arouse a certain nostalgia in me, my heart longed for a somewhat different experience.

Where should we go, Sonny? Sonny was my well-trained chocolate labrador. He was a watchdog of sorts who always protected me and in his mind acted more like a boyfriend than a dog. He waits patiently for me at the door, barks orders to me whenever he's ready to eat, and is almost always jealous of my male companions. But how could you blame him? The last guy I dated was Michael. He preferred his cell phone and social media accounts to genuine human interaction. Johnathan or J.B., for short, was before him, and he never knew how to live in the moment. He was always consumed with work. Needless to say, we never were in the same headspace and for me that is important. I ached for a man who is present, secure, and adventurous.

Without giving my past a second thought, I opened my laptop and googled the top ten best vacation experiences, and would you believe "glamping" was number one! Glamping...now that was an idea! The website described it as a fancier way to sleep under the stars. It was perfect! I would be able to satisfy my thirst for the outdoors, yet maintain the comfortable lifestyle that I had grown accustomed to living.

The closest "glamp-site" was nearly 200 miles west of Crystal Springs at a place called Poppy Sound. Although the name made me reminiscent of poppy seed dressing, I figured it had a bit of a ring to it, so off we went.

The three-hour-long drive flew by pretty fast for me. I coasted along the highway all while singing along to songs by Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and of course Beyonce'. Now and then I'd switch over to Prince's "Purple Rain" and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" if I wanted a switch in tempo and genre. After all, I was on a quest to prove that I could once again survive the wilderness, but this time it was to myself and as a grown woman! I had come into my own.

As my car rounded the corner, I drove swiftly towards the entrance of Poppy Sound. I could see a husky, friendly man fanning my car towards him and directing those in campers to the second entrance. "Howdy! The name's Rob! Never mind my overalls and cowboy hat. It doesn't depict the experience beyond this here gate! Before I could get a word in, he let out a sigh of exhaustion. "Miss my wife instructed me to say all that! The truth is, I just like to dress comfortably when I'm on duty, you know? The Mrs. gets onto me every day and says, 'Rob, honey, put on a decent shirt and tie!' If I can be honest with you for a second, sometimes I wear the shirt and tie out of the house and change back into my overalls as soon as I get to the campsite...I mean "glamp-site!" He welled back with his hand on his belly and burst into laughter. "I'll get used to the modern way of doing things before lone, Miss... Ugh, what was your name again? Isabelle...Isabelle Townsel. Well, Miss Townsel, I do hope you enjoy your stay. It looks like you are registered to our Swan Cottage! This just might be your lucky day as the saying goes that those who stay in that cottage remain in love for life," he said cheerfully.

This must be a mistake! I was all alone and surely he wasn't implying that Sonny and I... For a split second, I thought about correcting him, but after all, Swan Cottage was an upgrade from the website's highly advertised single retreat-- The Sturgeon Teepee pod, and I wanted to make sure that I had the best glamping experience ever. I will pay the difference in cost, and relaxing in that huge cottage was sure to be a treasure to behold.

As I pulled up to the cottage, I noticed there were two of them placed side by side. From the looks of it, we were to share the same grill, campfire space, and restroom, but the sleeping quarters were separate. Not bad considering that I was the only one using the cottage for the week.

Yes! I exclaimed emphatically. This is exactly what we needed! Isn't it Sonny? As I turned around to look for him, he had already made his home on the plush teal blue sofa near the makeshift door. He was sound asleep! As I looked around, I grew a fond admiration for the beautiful, chic decor inside the tent. Everything was draped in soft, neutral colors which managed to send a sense of calmness throughout my body. The space, itself, smelled of fresh linen and pine trees, and the number of candles throughout the space brought about a sense of warmness that not even my home could match.

"Hello!" I heard a deep, sultry voice near my window. "I thought I heard someone in here! I guess we're neighbors temporarily. I'm Ashton!" Ashton was every bit of 6'2 with olive skin, hair the color of James Dean's leather jacket, and a smile that was all his own. He was handsome...touched and chiseled by God himself. As I cleared my throat, I told him my name and how I thought I'd have the entire area to myself for the week.

Jokingly, he said, "I can leave if you'd like, or I can stay and..." "No, no! Absolutely not! I said so reassuringly. There's no need for you to leave. I mean having you around could prove good for me should any wild animals come about." I couldn't help but chuckle a little for I knew that the wild animal I was referring to was me. Now before you judge me, I hadn't been in the company of a beautiful man like this in eleven months. I couldn't stop my eyes from gazing upon his face...his neck...the way his crisply-cuffed white shirt fit inside those rugged Levis!

"Roof!" barked Sonny! I couldn't help but think that my dog's sixth sense was kicking in and any pheromones that I was giving off signaled to him that he had just been upstaged by a human! Before I could stop myself, it was as if some outside, angelic force took control of my tongue and said, "You know since we are sharing the same outside space, you are welcome to join me for dinner anytime!" I just might, Miss! I'll let you know when. We bid our farewells for the day, and I set off to explore my surroundings.

Over the course of the week, he and I would end our day talking and laughing around the campfire. We roasted s'mores and hotdogs, and he even pulled out his acoustic guitar to sing a little bit of John Mayer's hit song, Gravity. "That's it," I thought, "I am in love!" Isn't it funny how the very thing I did not want to do with my parents, I still ended up doing with Ashton?

The mornings would come so quickly, and each day was like the day before. I would see Ashton step out of his cottage onto the wooden platform, practice a few martial arts moves, and end his workout with one hundred push-ups! This particular morning though, I stared at him from my kitchen window, and each time he moved his arms, my body would sway with his. Before I knew it, I had fallen and broken several glasses from the counter. "Is everything okay?" Aston had literally run to my rescue. Judging from the distance of the broken glass to the window, I could tell that he knew that I had been watching him. "Listen, I was thinking that since tonight is our last night here, that we could have dinner together on the pier?" Yes! I nodded trying not to seem too excited, but on the inside, I was bursting with joy.

Around six o'clock, I walked to the pier alone. I wore the cutest yellow sundress this side of the mountain and carried my sandals by hand. For me, it was something different about the way the ground felt beneath my feet...sturdy...supportive. I gathered my thoughts about the last few days and arrived at the pier to see Ashton waiting for me before a spread of roast beef, provolone and horseradish sandwiches, Cape Cod potato chips, fresh fruit, celery sticks, and a bottle of the world's finest wine. He ran to greet me with a smile, grabbed my hand, and walked me over to a blue and white gingham stitched picnic blanket.

As I took a seat, he handed me a glass of Merlot. I closed my eyes after the first sip and allowed the rustic flavors of aged cedar and blackberries to envelope my taste buds. "Here's to new beginnings!" he said gently and leaned in for a kiss. His lips, soft yet firm, sent chills down my spine, and they tasted like pure honey. The smell of his cologne at the base of his neck invited me to lean in a little closer for his embrace.

It was a new beginning for both of us. One that began with a hello and a glass of Merlot!