NOTES ON CAMPING

Let me back up. The Tamakis—my family—are a hearty people but not especially rustic. While I was growing up, I don’t think anyone uttered the term “camping” once. My uneasy feelings on the matter were cemented by a bogus summer camp and some mildly traumatizing Girl Scouts trips. The familiar feeling of being out of place in predominantly white surroundings added to my aversion to camping.

Up until 2020, I had attempted to camp twice in my four years with