🏕️ ✨ Camping in September | A Cozy Story for Relaxation and Sleep

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00:00:02,070 --> 00:00:07,590
Welcome to The Slow Life.
I'm Jennifer Vino and I create,

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00:00:07,630 --> 00:00:12,040
narrate and design the
soundscape of this village of

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00:00:12,050 --> 00:00:15,810
cosy stories to relax and
unwind.

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00:00:16,850 --> 00:00:20,200
Each week I share an original
story.

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00:00:20,310 --> 00:00:25,340
Read 2 times so you can relax
even more during the second

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00:00:25,350 --> 00:00:29,040
reading.
I'm happy to announce my

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00:00:29,050 --> 00:00:36,260
website, theslowlife.ca.
It provides a space where we can

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00:00:36,270 --> 00:00:40,650
connect and I can bring you all
things cozy.

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00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:47,670
Let's settle in with some easy
breathing at your own pace.

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00:00:48,780 --> 00:00:53,830
With each inhale, let fresh air
fill the space around your

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00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:58,830
heart.
With each exhale, feel the calm

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00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:04,430
air spread through your body and
flow out through your arms and

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00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:12,710
legs, gently in through your
heart, gently out through your

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00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:18,350
body.
And now let's begin.

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00:01:21,610 --> 00:01:27,320
This story is called Camping in
September and it's about it's

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00:01:27,330 --> 00:01:33,640
still being summer, a waterfall
all our own, and sweet, sweet

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00:01:33,650 --> 00:01:40,610
camping cereal.
The air feels different as we

18
00:01:40,620 --> 00:01:46,090
load the last bag into the car.
It's still summer in the way the

19
00:01:46,100 --> 00:01:51,370
afternoon sun warms the skin,
but fall seeps in around the

20
00:01:51,380 --> 00:01:54,140
edges on these September
mornings.

21
00:01:55,760 --> 00:02:00,060
This trip is our way of rounding
out the last two months.

22
00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:06,750
Cozy nights spent outside
campfires in the dimming light.

23
00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:12,090
A time to stretch in nature
under the wide sky surrounding

24
00:02:12,100 --> 00:02:16,410
us.
We're on our way, and the drive

25
00:02:16,420 --> 00:02:20,830
is part of the fun.
The village falls away behind

26
00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:26,710
us, the streets curving into
roads through the hills, then

27
00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,870
winding into the folds of the
mountains.

28
00:02:31,430 --> 00:02:36,260
The trees grow taller, the
canopy thicker as we make our

29
00:02:36,270 --> 00:02:42,090
way, the roadside grasses mixed
with the dusting of yellow

30
00:02:42,100 --> 00:02:46,320
golden rod.
We keep the windows cracked to

31
00:02:46,330 --> 00:02:49,140
let the air circulate on its
own.

32
00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:55,480
The road grows quieter.
It feels like crossing into

33
00:02:55,490 --> 00:03:00,430
another place entirely, even
though we know it isn't far.

34
00:03:01,990 --> 00:03:06,940
The campsite isn't full, but
still has enough folks around to

35
00:03:06,950 --> 00:03:12,050
add to the experience.
A few tents are scattered

36
00:03:12,060 --> 00:03:17,570
through the trees, some in muted
colours, blending into the late

37
00:03:17,580 --> 00:03:21,570
summer woods.
Others can be seen further off.

38
00:03:23,270 --> 00:03:28,500
We choose a space near the edge
where the trees open just enough

39
00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,720
to glimpse the Ridge of the
mountains beyond.

40
00:03:33,140 --> 00:03:36,830
Stepping out of the car, the
ground is soft with pine

41
00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,590
needles.
The air smells like earth slowly

42
00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:45,460
cooling down.
It will warm up shortly, like

43
00:03:45,470 --> 00:03:49,980
most days.
Around this time, we set up the

44
00:03:49,990 --> 00:03:55,150
black goat tent we bought this
past spring, its walls fanning

45
00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,550
out smooth and dark against the
dappled sun.

46
00:03:59,940 --> 00:04:04,570
It will keep out the morning sun
if we want, but for now we leave

47
00:04:04,580 --> 00:04:10,890
the flap open to air it out.
It's easy to set up and we have

48
00:04:10,900 --> 00:04:16,740
it down pat by now.
Inside, the sleeping bags puff

49
00:04:16,750 --> 00:04:20,760
as we shake them out.
Laying them side by side.

50
00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,170
We put the smaller things into
place.

51
00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:31,530
Lanterns, bags of folded clothes
and a backpack with a deck of

52
00:04:31,540 --> 00:04:37,670
cards and other small games.
The food we leave in the car,

53
00:04:37,970 --> 00:04:41,180
out of sight and scent of
curious animals.

54
00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:46,770
We duck through the zipper door,
back outside and breathe in.

55
00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:52,860
The weekend is ours.
We set up lawn chairs by the

56
00:04:52,870 --> 00:04:57,380
fire pit and unload the bit of
wood we'd bought at the camps

57
00:04:57,390 --> 00:05:01,380
office.
We sit for a few minutes,

58
00:05:01,390 --> 00:05:05,900
feeling like our home for the
next few days is ready to settle

59
00:05:05,910 --> 00:05:10,500
into.
Wanting to Snoop around, we

60
00:05:10,510 --> 00:05:14,100
follow the path that winds away
from the campsite.

61
00:05:15,300 --> 00:05:20,470
It leads through tall ferns and
over stones covered with Moss,

62
00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:25,310
the air extra fresh beneath the
still green trees.

63
00:05:26,430 --> 00:05:32,120
The sound comes first, a hushed
rushing of water, soft and

64
00:05:32,130 --> 00:05:36,410
steady.
Then the trees start to thin and

65
00:05:36,420 --> 00:05:41,890
a waterfall appears.
It spills white over the rocks

66
00:05:41,950 --> 00:05:46,040
not too high up into a clear
pool below.

67
00:05:47,180 --> 00:05:51,870
Prepped for this with bathing
suits on, we leave our clothes

68
00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:55,460
folded on the rocks and step
into the water.

69
00:05:56,620 --> 00:05:59,210
It's warmer than we were
expecting.

70
00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:03,930
We thought we might just get in
long enough to say we did it,

71
00:06:04,340 --> 00:06:08,770
but it's comfortable and not a
shock to the system at all.

72
00:06:09,930 --> 00:06:14,740
We make the short swim towards
the falling water, reaching out

73
00:06:14,750 --> 00:06:18,900
to touch the cascade, letting it
splash over us.

74
00:06:20,110 --> 00:06:25,220
It's a refreshing curtain that
massages our shoulders, heads

75
00:06:25,290 --> 00:06:29,490
and backs.
We say things to each other that

76
00:06:29,500 --> 00:06:33,400
neither one of us hears, but we
know the context.

77
00:06:34,740 --> 00:06:39,550
Emerging from the falls,
laughing, eyes squinting in the

78
00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:44,780
spray and the sun.
We stay in the pool part for a

79
00:06:44,790 --> 00:06:48,530
while, still impressed with the
waters warmth.

80
00:06:50,150 --> 00:06:55,020
We lie on the sun warmed rocks
until the afternoon stretches

81
00:06:55,030 --> 00:07:01,580
thin and the shadows lengthen.
Time to pull our clothes back on

82
00:07:01,670 --> 00:07:04,440
and make our way back along the
trail.

83
00:07:05,990 --> 00:07:11,540
The campsite glows golden when
we return, the low sun still

84
00:07:11,550 --> 00:07:18,120
hanging on after hot showers in
the newly built facility.

85
00:07:18,270 --> 00:07:21,490
We build a small fire in the
growing dusk.

86
00:07:22,620 --> 00:07:28,010
The wood catches with a crackle,
smoke curling upward with no

87
00:07:28,020 --> 00:07:32,350
breeze to night.
Watching the flames mostly in

88
00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:37,270
silence, we let it settle into
coals and stretch our legs

89
00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:41,540
towards the heat.
The front office thoughtfully

90
00:07:41,550 --> 00:07:46,900
provided thin sticks sharpened
enough for marshmallows, and we

91
00:07:46,910 --> 00:07:53,080
hold them just above the embers.
The goal is usually to toast

92
00:07:53,090 --> 00:07:58,060
them to a beautiful brown, but
sometimes we don't catch them in

93
00:07:58,070 --> 00:08:01,230
time before they get to the
crispy phase.

94
00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:07,750
Just as yummy in my opinion.
We blow them out and slide the

95
00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:11,950
sweetness between 2 Graham
crackers and squares of

96
00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:16,240
chocolate.
The chocolate softens, the

97
00:08:16,250 --> 00:08:20,730
marshmallow tries to stay in
place, and it tastes like

98
00:08:20,740 --> 00:08:25,190
summer.
The sky continues to darken.

99
00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:32,370
Stars show themselves 1 by 1.
The fire keeps us warm, and the

100
00:08:32,380 --> 00:08:38,260
night settles around us.
We sit back and tilt our heads

101
00:08:38,270 --> 00:08:43,159
up, eyes scanning over
constellations whose names

102
00:08:43,169 --> 00:08:47,690
escape us.
The sounds change as night time

103
00:08:47,700 --> 00:08:51,050
expands.
I like that we can hear the

104
00:08:51,060 --> 00:08:56,220
other campers close by, laughing
over their own stories.

105
00:08:57,670 --> 00:09:01,040
The fire winds down and so do
we.

106
00:09:01,420 --> 00:09:06,080
We gather things up to store in
the car and slip inside the

107
00:09:06,090 --> 00:09:11,250
tent, thankful for the
convenience of the lanterns.

108
00:09:11,420 --> 00:09:15,160
We pulled the sleeping bags up
around our shoulders,

109
00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:20,300
whispering, even though regular
voices wouldn't disturb anyone.

110
00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:26,510
There's something about being in
a sleeping bag in a tent that

111
00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:31,000
makes you feel like a kid
camping out in your backyard.

112
00:09:32,580 --> 00:09:37,350
The blackout fabric will be
appreciated come morning, and it

113
00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,010
muffles the outside world just
enough.

114
00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:46,540
And just as kids do, we chat and
giggle with each other,

115
00:09:46,700 --> 00:09:51,390
continuing to whisper as if
we'll soon be shushed to settle

116
00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:55,230
down by the adults still sitting
around the fire.

117
00:09:56,750 --> 00:10:01,580
The talking from the other
campers flows down around us and

118
00:10:01,590 --> 00:10:05,030
there are longer gaps in our own
conversation.

119
00:10:06,250 --> 00:10:11,080
We say our good nights and look
forward to our tiny boxes of

120
00:10:11,090 --> 00:10:18,410
camping cereal in the morning.
My heart is full, my eyes are

121
00:10:18,420 --> 00:10:31,980
heavy and sleep comes easily.
Camping in September, the air

122
00:10:31,990 --> 00:10:36,440
feels different as we load the
last bag into the car.

123
00:10:36,910 --> 00:10:41,640
It's still summer in the way the
afternoon sun warms the skin,

124
00:10:42,130 --> 00:10:46,360
but fall seeps in around the
edges on these September

125
00:10:46,370 --> 00:10:51,150
mornings.
This trip is our way of rounding

126
00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:56,870
out the last two months.
Cozy nights spent outside

127
00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:02,650
campfires in the dimming light.
A time to stretch in nature

128
00:11:02,700 --> 00:11:05,370
under the wide sky surrounding
us.

129
00:11:06,790 --> 00:11:10,620
We're on our way, and the drive
is part of the fun.

130
00:11:11,510 --> 00:11:16,640
The village falls away behind
us, the streets curving into

131
00:11:16,650 --> 00:11:21,980
roads through the hills, then
winding into the folds of the

132
00:11:21,990 --> 00:11:26,660
mountains.
The trees grow taller, the

133
00:11:26,670 --> 00:11:33,210
canopy thicker as we make our
way, the roadside grasses mixed

134
00:11:33,220 --> 00:11:35,950
with the dusting of yellow
golden rod.

135
00:11:36,980 --> 00:11:41,500
We keep the windows cracked to
let the air circulate on its

136
00:11:41,510 --> 00:11:45,510
own.
The road grows quieter.

137
00:11:46,250 --> 00:11:51,390
It feels like crossing into
another place entirely, even

138
00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:57,480
though we know it isn't far.
The campsite isn't full, but

139
00:11:57,490 --> 00:12:01,650
still has enough folks around to
add to the experience.

140
00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:08,090
A few tents are scattered
through the trees, some in muted

141
00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:11,450
colours, blending into the late
summer woods.

142
00:12:12,170 --> 00:12:18,740
Others can be seen further off.
We choose a space near the edge

143
00:12:18,970 --> 00:12:23,260
where the trees open just enough
to glimpse the Ridge of the

144
00:12:23,270 --> 00:12:27,770
mountains beyond.
Stepping out of the car, the

145
00:12:27,780 --> 00:12:30,410
ground is soft with pine
needles.

146
00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:34,650
The air smells like earth slowly
cooling down.

147
00:12:36,110 --> 00:12:39,230
It will warm up shortly, like
most days.

148
00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:45,070
Around this time, we set up the
black goat tent we bought this

149
00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:50,370
past spring, its walls fanning
out smooth and dark against the

150
00:12:50,380 --> 00:12:54,950
dappled sun.
It will keep out the morning sun

151
00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:59,750
if we want, but for now we leave
the flap open to air it out.

152
00:13:01,180 --> 00:13:05,640
It's easy to set up and we have
it down pat by now.

153
00:13:07,010 --> 00:13:11,060
Inside, the sleeping bags puff
as we shake them out.

154
00:13:11,610 --> 00:13:17,420
Laying them side by side.
We put the smaller things into

155
00:13:17,430 --> 00:13:21,660
place.
Lanterns, bags of folded clothes

156
00:13:22,070 --> 00:13:26,980
and a backpack with a deck of
cards and other small games.

157
00:13:28,170 --> 00:13:32,720
The food we leave in the car,
out of sight and scent of

158
00:13:32,730 --> 00:13:37,090
curious animals.
We duck through the zipper door,

159
00:13:37,100 --> 00:13:42,200
back outside and breathe in.
The weekend is ours.

160
00:13:43,700 --> 00:13:48,250
We set up lawn chairs by the
fire pit and unload the bit of

161
00:13:48,260 --> 00:13:51,000
wood we'd bought at the camps
office.

162
00:13:52,460 --> 00:13:56,140
We sit for a few minutes,
feeling like our home for the

163
00:13:56,150 --> 00:13:59,470
next few days is ready to settle
into.

164
00:14:01,150 --> 00:14:05,840
Wanting to Snoop around, we
follow the path that winds away

165
00:14:05,850 --> 00:14:10,790
from the campsite.
It leads through tall ferns and

166
00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:16,590
over stones covered with Moss,
the air extra fresh beneath the

167
00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:22,210
still green trees.
The sound comes first, a hushed

168
00:14:22,220 --> 00:14:25,670
rushing of water, soft and
steady.

169
00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:31,170
Then the trees start to thin and
a waterfall appears.

170
00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:37,690
It spills white over the rocks
not too high up into a clear

171
00:14:37,700 --> 00:14:42,100
pool below.
Prepped for this with bathing

172
00:14:42,110 --> 00:14:47,140
suits on, we leave our clothes
folded on the rocks and step

173
00:14:47,150 --> 00:14:51,120
into the water.
It's warmer than we were

174
00:14:51,130 --> 00:14:54,600
expecting.
We thought we might just get in

175
00:14:54,610 --> 00:14:59,500
long enough to say we did it,
but it's comfortable and not a

176
00:14:59,510 --> 00:15:05,110
shock to the system at all.
We make the short swim towards

177
00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:10,430
the falling water, reaching out
to touch the cascade, letting it

178
00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:15,260
splash over us.
It's a refreshing curtain that

179
00:15:15,270 --> 00:15:19,200
massages our shoulders, heads
and backs.

180
00:15:20,190 --> 00:15:24,880
We say things to each other that
neither one of us hears, but we

181
00:15:24,890 --> 00:15:29,710
know the context.
Emerging from the falls,

182
00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:34,080
laughing, eyes squinting in the
spray and the sun.

183
00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:40,230
We stay in the pool part for a
while, still impressed with the

184
00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:45,640
waters warmth.
We lie on the sun warmed rocks

185
00:15:45,710 --> 00:15:50,630
until the afternoon stretches
thin and the shadows lengthen.

186
00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:56,850
Time to pull our clothes back on
and make our way back along the

187
00:15:56,860 --> 00:16:01,410
trail.
The campsite glows golden when

188
00:16:01,420 --> 00:16:08,880
we return, the low sun still
hanging on after hot showers in

189
00:16:08,890 --> 00:16:13,290
the newly built facility.
We build a small fire in the

190
00:16:13,300 --> 00:16:18,130
growing dusk.
The wood catches with a crackle,

191
00:16:18,380 --> 00:16:22,100
smoke curling upward with no
breeze to night.

192
00:16:23,010 --> 00:16:28,020
Watching the flames mostly in
silence, we let it settle into

193
00:16:28,030 --> 00:16:31,370
coals and stretch our legs
towards the heat.

194
00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:37,210
The front office thoughtfully
provided thin sticks sharpened

195
00:16:37,220 --> 00:16:42,270
enough for marshmallows, and we
hold them just above the embers.

196
00:16:43,590 --> 00:16:48,840
The goal is usually to toast
them to a beautiful brown, but

197
00:16:48,850 --> 00:16:53,000
sometimes we don't catch them in
time before they get to the

198
00:16:53,010 --> 00:16:58,480
crispy phase.
Just as yummy in my opinion.

199
00:16:58,530 --> 00:17:02,780
We blow them out and slide the
sweetness between 2 Graham

200
00:17:02,790 --> 00:17:05,589
crackers and squares of
chocolate.

201
00:17:07,089 --> 00:17:11,260
The chocolate softens, the
marshmallow tries to stay in

202
00:17:11,270 --> 00:17:14,180
place, and it tastes like
summer.

203
00:17:15,710 --> 00:17:21,589
The sky continues to darken.
Stars show themselves 1 by 1.

204
00:17:22,530 --> 00:17:27,359
The fire keeps us warm, and the
night settles around us.

205
00:17:28,740 --> 00:17:33,770
We sit back and tilt our heads
up, eyes scanning over

206
00:17:33,780 --> 00:17:36,960
constellations whose names
escape us.

207
00:17:38,270 --> 00:17:41,440
The sounds change as night time
expands.

208
00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:47,420
I like that we can hear the
other campers close by, laughing

209
00:17:47,430 --> 00:17:53,270
over their own stories.
The fire winds down and so do

210
00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,670
we.
We gather things up to store in

211
00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:01,940
the car and slip inside the
tent, thankful for the

212
00:18:01,950 --> 00:18:06,490
convenience of the lanterns.
We pull the sleeping bags up

213
00:18:06,500 --> 00:18:09,350
around our shoulders,
whispering.

214
00:18:09,410 --> 00:18:13,220
Even though regular voices
wouldn't disturb anyone.

215
00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:19,450
There's something about being in
a sleeping bag in a tent that

216
00:18:19,460 --> 00:18:23,930
makes you feel like a kid
camping out in your backyard.

217
00:18:25,500 --> 00:18:30,270
The blackout fabric will be
appreciated come morning, and it

218
00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:32,940
muffles the outside world just
enough.

219
00:18:34,300 --> 00:18:39,460
And just as kids do, we chat and
giggle with each other,

220
00:18:39,620 --> 00:18:44,310
continuing to whisper as if
we'll soon be shushed to settle

221
00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:48,150
down by the adults still sitting
around the fire.

222
00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:54,510
The talking from the other
campers flows down around us and

223
00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:57,950
there are longer gaps in our own
conversation.

224
00:18:59,170 --> 00:19:04,000
We say our good nights and look
forward to our tiny boxes of

225
00:19:04,010 --> 00:19:11,340
camping cereal in the morning.
My heart is full, my eyes are

226
00:19:11,350 --> 00:19:19,180
heavy and sleep comes easily.
I wish you sweet dreams.