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Summer Camping: An Eco Travelogue

Aug. 01, 2017

I grew up in Bombay, India, a far cry from the west coast of North America, where I live today.

Yet for a girl who grew up in the city, I was lucky to experience natural and wild spaces far from the paved, urban environment I lived in. My mother made it her mission to get us to a nearby “hill station” (or hilltop town) for school breaks.  And we rock climbed, hiked and explored river banks and followed waterfalls to their source during the downpour of India’s south west monsoons.

The one thing, we never did however, was camp. There were no national parks in India where you went and pitched a tent or drove your RV.

In fact, I’ve only been camping a few times in my adult life in North America, but I have wanted to go camping every year, a feeling that was enhanced since our son was born six years ago.  I have always desired for him to be comfortable in the WILD and to truly love NATURE.

This past weekend, we went camping as a family for the first time.

My son Ananda and I were very very excited.  Eoin, my husband’s excitement was palpable but perhaps a little cooler.

FYI, I am married to a man who grew up in the wilds of central Canada, to whom camping is a not a romantic notion and in no way resembles a glamping fantasy.  He does not romanticize sleeping in a sleeping bag.  He relishes a cosy bed.  He detests mosquitoes (especially because they love him). But he does love being in NATURE.

So off we went to Big Sur, California.  I had found a campsite in North Big Sur just a week earlier, described online as one that “backs onto redwood trees, has a fire pit and picnic table; close to the bathroom;” and offered no visual unless you count a very grainy, grey picture that showed a picnic table. I clicked “purchase” with a lot of hope and excitement.

On Saturday, we loaded up the car and I prepped food.  “What shall we eat” became my obsessive question for the weekend. I asked friends, consulted Sunset magazine, but finally decided on a tried and tested menu.  A.k.a. food our son would definitely eat without a fuss.  :-).

For dinner: a simple Japanese inspired chicken and vegetable stew that I could marinate overnight – it has miso, tamari and lots of ginger; cucumber salad and smores for dessert as requested by Ananda. In addition some humus and veggies; avocado and tortilla chips to snack on; eggs and kale for Sunday breakfast and some fresh bread from a local baker.

Easy right?

Since we were car camping, it was.

We had a very large borrowed cooler and a camping stove, thanks to some well versed camping friends.  I packed a cast iron skillet, a le creuset pot that has traveled many places with me – it is hardy – and a small pot for boiling water.  We packed melamine plates, cloth napkins, our enamel coffee mugs and dish towels.  I was thankful that the trunk to our diesel Jetta is roomy.

Eoin organized our camping tent, sleeping bags, mats and a hammock.  We also threw in blankets, head lamps and an inflatable solar powered LED lantern that I found at a local outdoor gear shop.

Our goal was to keep our camping footprint light and as zero waste as possible.

I stayed up a little too late on Saturday night prepping and packing. I tried to pack just enough food so we wouldn’t have to waste anything.  I think I overpacked just a little bit.

We left after a light granola, fruit and almond milk breakfast.  It was not 8 a.m. as I had imagined. It was 10 a.m., but really did it matter?  We were finally on our way. Ananda was elated.

We had planned to hike at a few points along the coast once we hit Big Sur.

But first we turned left at Carmel Valley and ate lunch at the farmstand at Earthbound Farms.  A 10 minute drive off the highway took us to a repurposed barn and structures housing delicious, fresh, organic produce (strawberries for $1.99/ pound); flowers; and homemade soups, sandwiches and salads.

Ananda was not ready to eat yet, so we held a jump rope and let him practice jump-roping – a skill he is determined to master these days – until we had to drag him inside the cafe!

I am always amazed at how self-regulating children are.  I’ve been sitting in a car for 2 hours. Now I need to move.  It’s instinctive. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we all lived life in this way?

The farm stand was surrounded by abundant organic gardens – which supplied some of the food sold in the cafe, a labyrinth and fruit bearing trees.  It was pastoral and lovely and I could have wandered here all morning.

But we had places to be. 🙂

So we drove down the famed 17 mile drive toward Big Sur. Jaw dropping clifftop vistas beckoned, beyond sparkled the deep blue Pacific Ocean; and we crossed narrow bridges still standing despite the wild storms of this past winter; past thick clumps of cars brimming over with tourists.  Sunday traffic.

We stopped for a short coastal hike.  Yes, there were many cars parked by the roadside, but the trail was not crowded.  Where, we wondered was everybody.  The paths winded past trails thick with native grasses, hedges and some poison oak.

“Careful,” said Ananda, who is vigilant about poison oak. He’s learned all about it attending school here.

We trailed down a slope toward a little creek running into the ocean and somehow managed to spend an hour or more at this pristine beautiful beach that was not empty, but did not feel crowded.  The sand was soft and warm on our bare feet and here and there were odd driftwood palaces, built with care. Ananda climbed some rocks, we played float-the-stick-races down the river and time seemed to slow down.  Our phones no longer worked. There was no cell phone service here.

Life felt as though it was cocooning us in its fullness.

Our campground was at Pfeiffer State Park on the banks of the Big Sur River among thousands of acres of towering redwoods.  We had arrived at check in time, 2 p.m., which meant some waiting at the gate, more “are we there yet” from Ananda; and a drive down past many campsites, a river full of splashing children and there it was site 160, a pretty open spot with 2 picnic tables, a fire pit and a spot to put our tent up under a grove of redwood trees.

Ananda was hungry, so we unpacked the food, made him some guacamole and let him nosh on his snack before we put up our tent.

Our tent took a few tries, and then magically, we set it up, put on the cover and admired our handiwork.  Next, we blew up our sleeping bag mat pads, and Ananda helped to arrange everything inside the tent.  He loved being inside the enclosure – and promptly took out a coloring book.  He was settling into our home for the night.

There was still more to be done.  We organized our stove, cooler and set the table for dinner.

We had collected driftwood and shells and some feathers at the beach and Eoin crafted a nature shrine on one end of our dining table. It felt apropos, a thank you to the earth spirits and added so much beauty to our dinner table.

The next few hours were a blur.  We walked to the river and decided that it was perfect for a play but now too cool to dive in.  Instead, we tried to find the sunniest spot atop some boulders and attempted to have a short family meditation, which lasted for about 10 seconds of peace.

Yet, the light was golden and the water rushed on its way past us. We were the last folks left by the riverside. Smells of cooking fires wafted down to us and the coolness of the air bedded the heat of the day.

We were ready for dinner and a night under the stars.

That night, we shared stories.

We heard each others joys and disappointments around the campfire.  We were closer as a family.

These are the moments that offer us meaning, I thought to myself.  The times and spaces when we are undistracted and focus on those we love. When we are not distracted either by the noise of mass consumerism or by our wants.

When we get quiet.

When we realize how simple our needs really are.

When we open up to the life force present in nature.

When we breathe it all in.

We left the campsite the next day under-slept but over-joyed.

Something felt more still and more peaceful in my body and heart.

This whole weekend, I decided was a yoga practice.

ECO CAMPING TIPS!

Here are some tips to keep your camping trip as waste free as possible.  This may be second nature to you; but I can tell you how shocked I was at the amount of waste I saw in the trash and recycling bins at the campsite.

  • Bring reusable dishes, silverware and glasses.
  • Bring cloth napkins to wipe your hands with.
  • Bring eco dish soap, better for your hands and the environment.
  • Prepack and prep veggies in reusable boxes that make packing up a whiz.
  • If you eat meat, or fish, you can most likely burn the bones in your camp fire.
  • Consider bringing a container to take compostable food leftovers home.
  • If you use a quick starter firelog, do use one made from old coffee grinds, vs. the toxic varieties.
  • Pick up any pieces of trash you may find at your campsite before and after your stay.
  • Use glass containers or reusable BPA plastic free ones for water.  We brought 3 x 1 gallon glass growlers that are easy to transport (while car camping).
  • Look to nature around for table decor. Involve your children in the process. Our six year old loved helping make our evergreen napkin rings!
  • Make your mantra less is more, but do remember to test our your sleeping bags and camping gear so you know you will be comfortable (a lesson I am still learning).
  • Embrace the simple life.
  • Have fun!

 

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Category: Blog, Explore Tags: big sur, blisslogy, california, campingwkids, ecolife, ecolifewithkids, familycamping, insiya yoga, summer, sustainability, yogalife, yogue

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About Insiya Rasiwala-Finn

Yogini + Ayurvedic Coach, Writer and Conscious Mama. Believes in regenerative, slow living, holistic design and living mindfully every day.

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Comments

  1. fairysc says

    August 1, 2017 at 7:53 pm

    Thanks for sharing your camping experience, Insiya. You really captured the essence of communing with nature and what really matters: love, family, nature, the joy of being. All of this can be found in the great outdoors. I wish you many more camping adventures to come!

    Reply
    • yogue says

      August 1, 2017 at 8:09 pm

      aw, loved that you read this Sarah!!! big love xoxo

      Reply

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ABOUT YOGUE  Hi, I'm Insiya. Journey with me as we live slow, scatter beauty and tread lightly on the planet.

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insiyafinn

My internal world has been full of questioning lat My internal world has been full of questioning lately… the ones that keep coming up are: who am I? What do I want to do - with this re-birth into life? Where am I going? What is my purpose? What do I want to create? The questions that emerge when everything under our feet seems like quicksand, when life has seemed contracting and you finally begin to see new openings and light.

I’m allowing space for those answers to emerge, supporting myself w a mindful art course with @bccancer and a weekly women’s circle. BecUse I need to. The emotional whorl is here and real; and while I know it has been a lot I don’t actually realize it until things come up and I feel all the feels.

The body I am in feels different, it is and it will take time to regain my strength and movement ability. And yet life continues and I feel its press: the pull of many roles I bear as a woman, a mother, a daughter, a wife, a teacher, an entrepreneur… and it can feel like a lot!!! 

But then, there is a walk w the sunshine or moonlight on the horizon a meal that celebrates our senses and I remember that I have to stay on my path and begin again…

Photo sprinkles L to R:
1, 2: holiday sparkles w mum and dad 
3. The most delicious lunch ever @belovevictoria 
4. Turmeric, ginger, coriander and fennel: what I made to help me move through a sticky cold this last week.
5. Making herbal salves w @andreapenagos.wellness and @iye.herstories 💖🌱
6. This branch was so beautiful 
7. Lion made a tiramisu (I halved the sugar it was still v sweet)!
8. An appt at BC cancer - I’ll have check ups every 3 months. Each time I see my oncologist I remember how far I have come
9. Today: a walk in the sunshine w my little guy. 

Always counting my roses every day. Have not been writing much recently and need to commit to writing everything down about this last 15 months before I forget… still receiving messages from others encountering cancer and so happy that my story can help give inspiration and hope. Thanks for being here. 
💖💫🙏🏼

#family #growth #exhale #breathe #yogateacher #healcancer #healinsiya #insiyafinn
The roots of where I come from ie. India have alwa The roots of where I come from ie. India have always been an integral part of my practice and study of yoga and Ayurveda, even though my family is Muslim - yoga has always been both and integral and secular practice for me - yet connected deeply to Hindu philosophy - as is Ayurveda. Also so much of what I have learned I also owe to committed teachers and lineage in the west. As someone who has experienced this sort of transnational identity - of space, place, race and more - from living and moving and being in so many countries - i cherish and hold the threads that connect me to meaning and illumination. And I am committed to sharing those threads with lightness of heart and depth of experience.

Super honored to announce that I will be sharing Ayurveda and more @sedonayogafestival this March 2024. If you are considering it say yes. It will be a weekend to cherish. @theblissologist will also be there bringing his incredible Blissology yoga teachings.

And a host of amazing teachers.

Hope to see you there. Ticket prices on a super sale until tonight. Head over to @sedonayogafestival for more. 💖🙏🏼💫

#yogafestivals #yogateacher #growth #ayurveda #modernayurveda #healing #health #india 

Happy Saturday!!!
It’s cold and I awoke this morning feeling like It’s cold and I awoke this morning feeling like I was coming down w a flu. But going outside is always my medicine and the sunshine put on its A game tonight…

One thing I am focusing on right now is how to heal myself by tuning into the rhythms of nature / to our circadian rhythms… this is at the heart of Ayurveda. Happily a lovely yogi sent me a book called “the rhythms of wellness” by Alberta teacher Jaki Daniels, which offers a Chinese medicine perspective on bio rhythms. 🙌

Here’s what is helping me these days:
👇🏽
🌞Getting sunshine when it’s strongest - these days I walk our dog at around 3:30 or 4 pm and soak up whatever light I can.
🥣making lunch my main meal and dinner lighter - this helps our digestive fire to work harder when it can (ie during the afternoon) 
Winding down before 10 pm (trying)!!! But I notice how much better I sleep before getting that second wind of energy.

Lots more about this on my blog if you are interested. Look up « Dinacharya » @ yogue.ça and it will honestly transform your days. 

Saw my surgeon today which was a reminder again of where I was a year ago and where I am today. 

Grateful for a little space of light and sending out as much peace and love as I possibly can. The world needs it. We all do! 💫🙏🏼💖
Loss and grief: it feels both personal (in my body Loss and grief: it feels both personal (in my body and mind after all the surgeries and treatment) and planetary right now with wars that keep on going. 😢

This week I had the opportunity to join a circle of courageous women led by a wise woman who held space for us all to speak out loud the grief we hold. 

We spoke our losses holding onto a stone - their weight in our hands an anchor point - I found my stones earlier that day… walking to a beach w my son and his friend… I chose each one because it felt a certain way in my hands, because I felt their shape and beauty. 

As we moved around the circle, time stopped. 

Words don’t always allow us to fully feel what we are trying to express, but they try their best. And it can be simple words that sometimes express big, unspeakable things…

Tears were shed. The lights were dim and as I held my stone and spoke and then placed it into the vessel of water; I realized that it was only in walking through the curtain of pain that I felt whole once again. 

There is a lot of suffering in life. And most often we cause suffering through our perception of what happened or is happening. What a relief to speak it out and make space for a new way of seeing and feeling.

I don’t have any solutions to the suffering around us. But I do know that it begins with each one of us. And the seed of healing lies in being more kind and more clear and making space for light and love to illuminate our shadows. 

Grief is the other side of bliss. But we have to move through it to get there.

#womenscircles #grief #griefritual #suffering #war #peace #ceasewar #growth #blissology @blissology #healinsiya #healcancer
Happy Diwali!!! May we be reminded of our illumi Happy Diwali!!! 

May we be reminded of our illumination especially at a time when we need all the light we can and cannot see… 🙏🏼❤️‍🩹💖💫🪔

#diwali2023 #insiyafinn #blissedandblessed #family @theblissologist
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