A few weekends ago, we went on a completely different sort of camping trip.  We drove a few hours north to attend a weekend course at the Woodsman School in New Hampshire. 

Instructor Derek Faria is a a Registered Maine Guide trained in wilderness First Aid and CPR and he was eminently patient with us “city folk.” We learned knot-tying, fire starting, how to prioritize our survival if caught in the woods, how to use just a few items to build a shelter, and how to chop down a tree. 

The guys spent the night in the shelter they had built with a fire and the women and children in the tent. With temperatures dropping to 39 degrees and a wind storm, it was not an easy night but we awoke with a sense of accomplishment.

And how beautiful are these woods! Having grown up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, I was often taken back to my childhood, spending days in the woods with my parents, cutting wood for our winter supply.

The hospitality and generosity of the Faria family was truly beautiful and we look forward to seeing them again soon!