5.04.2011

Indoor Kids

Outdoorsmen still carry iPods
My friends and I are are nerds. We're dyed in the wool, never surrender, cradle-to-grave nerds. All of us. Some are Depeche Mode fangirls, others have logged 1500 hours playing WOW, but we're all united by a love for tiny passions. We treat hardcovers like holy books, could recite the script of TMNT: The Movie in character, see the sun about as often as we see our parents. The most recent gift I bought for someone was a Mario Brothers themed chess set, a double whammy. No one has ever used the word "rugged" to describe anyone I know. Yet, strangely, a few years back we all took a trip to Yosemite National Park.

Possessed by some fiery and unparalleled drive, Jace decided it was our destiny to tame Half Dome and experience the wilderness. Can you hike in Chucks? Do they have 3G cell towers at the summit? Will my duvet fit in a tent? Then I shut up. The prospect of spending a week with my friends and dog ends all questions. To Yosemite!

Luckily, Jessica knew something about outdoors. She was a nerd, but also possessed demonstrable survival skills. How was I supposed to know that the fire would get that big? Seemed safe enough. Luckily Yosemite is still there.

Thanks to Jace's fastidious preparations, we ate like kings, hiked very little, and partied in our own special way. At some point he made an entire corn chowder from scratch. In the woods! I may have had a few too many root beers that week, but I don't regret a single one.

By and large, we're kids. We play childish games, eat at restaurants with plastic utensils, work at crappy day jobs, and have a total of zero children between us. But we love like Gods. We tower over negativity and depression. We love until the kettle can't scream any louder. Fun is in our blood; it unites our Venn Diagrams. People always say they have the best friends and always makes me smile. It isn't until they see us together that they clam up. For a week we stopped being indoor kids, and became outdoorsmen. You can take the boys away from the laptop, but you can't stop them from having fun.

*This post was inspired by the suggestion of "Indoor Kids v.Outdoor Kids" by Jessica Backofen. If you'd like to make a suggestion for future posts, do so here.

5 comments :

  1. This reminded me of my first (and only) camping trip. Destination unknown. Maybe I didn't care. I know it was cold, and I did take my duvet. I love that you know what a duvet is and actually own one.

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  2. Depeche Mode fan girls are NOT nerds!!

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  3. Mario Brothers themed chess set.
    Jealous!!
    Where did you get that?

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  4. "But we love like Gods. We tower over negativity and depression." - Awesome!!!!

    I also just dialed up some DM on my ipod :)

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  5. Cat, we say it at the 2011 PAX in Boston, but they wanted an arm and a leg for it. I ordered it for him online and gave it to him when we got home.

    Dave, "Strangelove" ruins my life.

    D, sorry. What I meant to say was Harry Potter, Seinfeld quoting, and getting so heated over the logic of enforcing Munchkin rules that you had to leave our apartment. My mistake.

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