Camping at the Kinneret

I am taking my kids camping.

Call me crazy, but I really want to do it.

What is even more amazing is that they all want to go camping with me!

They want to spend family time together.  They do not care about going on hikes or what we do, as long as we do it together.

Did I mention that all three of my kids are teenagers, in the midst of adolescence?!?!

I am so excited about spending time them!

I am a little nervous about doing it all on my own (three adoloescent teenagers, and all that...), but there really is no other option.

Moshe is not coming.  He hates camping.  He will be much happier at home and at work, where he has air conditioning.  He is happy for us to go, but he has absolutely no desire to join us.

When we first had kids, I used to drag Moshe camping with us. Eventually, since he hated camping so much, we just stopped going altogether.  Two years ago, we found the Pesach/Jugglers' Convention solution, whereby the kids and I go camping at Sachneh, and Moshe sleeps a 10 minute drive away, at our friends who, of course, have air conditioning.  The Sachneh solution seems to work, but it is not enough.

The kids and I still want to camp during summer vacation.  For various reasons, a family camping trip during the last few summers just was not possible.  Yet, despite the recent progression of my cancer and our youngest daughter's Bat Mitzvah, I realized we could, at least in theory, go camping this summer.

Moshe and I discussed it.  We decided that Moshe would hold down the fort while I take the kids off into the wild blue yonder.

This summer has been particularly challenging for me.  As our camping dates approached, I wondered if my pain would be controlled enough for me to swing this adventure.  I have been praying, every night, that I will be able to do it.  Meanwhile, I am pushing forward, full steam ahead.

I scheduled this trip with the kids over a month ago.  Good thing we planned in advance, because these were the ONLY days that all three kids would be free at the same time all summer!

We originally planned to drive up north on Tuesday morning, and camp for 3 or 4 days, until Thursday or Friday.  We decided to be spontaneous and decide on the spot whether or not to stay the extra day.

Wrong!   Our time is not as free as we thought.  My youngest daughter just informed me that she has a Bat Mitzvah on Thursday night.  So there is no longer a third night/fourth day option.  We will return to Jerusalem on Thursday, so my daughter can attend her friend's Bat Mitzvah.

Meanwhile, we still need to decide where we are camping.

My kids are pretty set on the idea of camping at the Kinneret. 

Many friends encouraged me to travel further north, where it might be cooler.  I do not really want to drive that far on my own.  Even more so, I am determined to camp on the Kinneret because that is where my kids want to go.

Now we just have to decide WHERE on the Kinneret to camp.

Any suggestions?



Please daven (or send happy, healing thoughts) for RivkA bat Teirtzel.

With love and optimism,
RivkA