Sitting outside on a fine summer’s evening, my thoughts drift to Eisenhower State Park and our weekend camping excursion. At this point, we’re hoping it happens. We’ve made all the necessary preparations, arranged our work schedules, reserved our space. Now all we need is our travel trailer. It’s back at the dealership having an electrical issue evaluated. We may or may not have it by the weekend.

It struck me, however, that we’ve really developed a wanderlust…a strong desire to travel and explore the world. But our impulse is tempered by forces beyond our control.

The title of this blog is reminiscent of a famous verse by the English poet Edward Fitzgerald. In The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Fitzgerald wrote “A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread — and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness — Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!”

The language is 19th-century, but the sentiment is timeless. There’s something to be said for experiencing the great outdoors accompanied by a treasured friend with only a few necessities. Is it any wonder that we can’t wait to retrieve our beloved home on wheels and set out on the next adventure?