Happy Independence Day Weekend!

At the Jersey Shore about to get really sunburned. (M. Pierwola)

The cynic in me had an urge to write about how, despite the fact that everyone in the United States was likely celebrating Independence Day this weekend, most were not celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. But after thinking about it a bit, I began to reason through the fireworks, parades, and hot dogs - indirectly, we are celebrating independence by taking part in traditional American celebratory events. We spend time with friends and family, and whether we really think about our nation's history, we're celebrating by being able to do all of the things an independent nation's people can do. Or something.

Regardless, I had a great weekend. I spent my (corporate holiday) Friday mountain biking and trail riding with my wonderful little brother, whom I decidedly do not spend enough time with. We had a good, slightly above average dinner at Derek's in Manayunk. I arrived home pretty early, and called my good friend Lauren to see how the TerraMar July 4th camping trip, which I'd 99% decided against going on, was progressing. I'm not a huge fan of the Jersey shore, mostly because of the traffic and the usual stigmas associated with it. Lauren and our friend Evan did some serious convincing, mostly using s'mores, campfires, and warm sun on the beach. A few minutes later, I found myself frantically packing for the very early morning drive to Adventure Bound Campground in Cape May.

I arrived at camp around 8:30am Saturday morning, just in time for breakfast. I noticed a large PA system set up under a tarp several sites away, and Lauren explained the Spanish-speaking group of 50 had woken them all up with some sort of air horn and loud music. So much for campground etiquette. We spent all day on the beach, and I came back to camp with a nasty sunburn on my legs from failing to reapply my SPF30 sunscreen throughout the course of the day. Ouch. Our group of 12 TerraMar members in three cars somehow managed to stay together and end up in the same spot to watch the fireworks in North Wildwood.

The rude, obnoxious crew next to us woke us up on Sunday morning, this time with loud clapping and yelling. One of the leaders wanted his group up at 7am, and decided doing so by waking the entire campground was the best solution. Awful, awful person. I left early to avoid traffic while some of the TerraMar folks went on a whale watching trip, and spent the day trying to figure out how to sit without hurting my sunburned legs. But it was a great weekend. 

When I normally think of how I'd spend the perfect Independence Day weekend, my thoughts drift to summer in the 1,000 Islands with my family. We'd go to our cottage, eat until we exploded, then head to Clayton, Cape Vincent, or Alex Bay for the fireworks. I miss spending time with my whole family, but being apart is one of the consequences of all of us growing up and moving away. Maybe next year...