Childfree campers
We are Childfree by Choice. Allow me to elaborate; we have made the decision, together as a couple, to not have children. Not now, not ever. Yes, we gave it real, actual consideration and both agreed we’d rather not have children. We both have different reasons for reaching the same conclusion, but to be clear, I did not talk Jamey out of having children, nor did pressure me into an empty womb. We both enjoy our childfree life. We’re very happy for you that you enjoy having children.
Women have it worse when they declare they don’t want kids — it seems to go against nature. For some reason, society assumes men just need some nudging and nagging from a good woman to get them pregnant, and then they’ll realize they wanted kids the whole time. As a woman, it’s expected that I’ve been dreaming of motherhood since I was a child. I haven’t; I never felt the maternal pang. I love (other people’s) kids but I’ve always known I would prefer a life without kids of my own.
Camping without kids
The may not be kids, but they’re my babies!
All that lead up to say, we’re almost always the only childfree couple in any situation, especially when we’re camping. Camping is a great way for families to spend time together and go new places. It’s also a fun way for a couple with some cool dogs to explore new places.
Since we don’t have to worry about getting the kids to bed in time, we can stay up late by the fire, or spend our day at breweries. We can make plans to do whatever we want, without making sure the kids have snacks or entertainment. It allows us the freedom to do the things we enjoy.
We had a weekend of camping with Jamey’s family – his brother and two kids stayed with us in the camper. It was fun experiencing their joy and seeing things through their eyes. I loved snuggling with my niece in our chair as I rocked her to sleep. But, I also loved it when they left with Grandma and Grandpa and we didn’t have to watch our language or cater everything to their needs at all times.
When we started reading and watching other campers blogs/vlogs we didn’t see anything that represented us. For starters, most of them are full-time RVers. We’re just doing this for fun on weekends, because we have mountains of debt and we own a home I really like and plan to stay in for the foreseeable future. Beyond that, most of them are homeschooling their kids on the road of life, or are newly weds, taking a few years to live on the road, before they settle down and start a family.
We’re just us
I guess we are special snowflakes. We aren’t camping to spend time with our kids, we aren’t going vegan to weigh as little as possible to keep the weight down in the vehicle, and while we are fit and active, we aren’t on the lookout for the nearest gym on our camping trips so we can go pump some iron. We’re just regular folks, with regular jobs and no kids. I think you’d like us if you met us, if you see us on the road, say hey! Jamey will give you a beer and a chair by our fire.
Let’s connect
Think you’d like to have a camping get-together with us? Let us know when and where you are, and maybe we’ll share the famous Strand S’mores recipe with you.
