The Lass is, as she proclaimed last night, a “city girl.”  She is all about sidewalks and stop lights and buildings and complaining about traffic in the sense that she wishes that people would get out of their cars and walk.  This is not to say that she doesn’t like being in nature as she does.  We have a little wooded area behind our house that she loves.  We also spent time in a real forest this past summer – she loved that too.  She loves nature, but she is a self proclaimed “city girl.”

This week she attended a rock climbing camp.  Most of the camp took place in the gym where everything was quite comfortable and cozy for the “city girl.”  However, yesterday they went outside and truly hit the rocks.  

Real rocks.

Rocks created by water and wind and thousands of years of environmental influences.  

Rocks that didn’t have color coded tags pointing  the climber to one path or another, but forced each climber to find the non-existent  hand holds and foot placements.  

One of these rock walls was 70 feet high!

The Lass… and this probably goes without saying… loved the entire day!!  

She repelled down the wall faces and then did the different climbs.  

She enjoyed the gorgeous day and the testing of her mind and body.  

I am sure that this spider girl laughed and giggled in between her climbs.  

She said that there were trick walls with little ledges and that repelling down was a tad scary at times.  

She said that she “loved” it!

And then… she had to go to the bathroom.  

Not seeing any bathrooms in this part of the woods, my daughter decided to try and “hold it.”  

I am not sure how she focused on the climbs while having to go to the bathroom, but apparently she did.  

The “city girl” finally broke down and asked “Where are the bathrooms?”

One of the other girls walked with her to a little area where the trees and bushes were a bit thicker.  

“This is the bathroom?”  my daughter, ever the city girl, said with great skepticism (at least she did when she told us the story at dinner)

Embarrassed as she was, she really had to go, so she did her business as quickly as possible and left.  She reported that it just looked like a dog had gone – and “there were lots of dogs there.”

I am sure that I didn’t do this story justice as it was hilarious to hear her tell it.  My city girl who, despite having had lots of opportunities throughout her life, has never gone to the bathroom without a toilet.  She has simply refused knowing full well that there is a toilet somewhere in her near future… and she will just wait, thanks!

Yesterday the elements and the force of nature required her to bite the bullet and go where she had never gone before – to the bathroom on the ground, without toilet or paper or sink.  She says that she would prefer not to do that again, thanks!

She laughed as she told the story.  Papa and I laughed as she related it with such drama and animation.  

Despite having to drip dry, she loved being outside and climbing.  She is ready and thrilled to potentially do the camp again next summer.  

I love the idea of this camp for the strategic thinking of rock climbing, the physical exertion, the sense of accomplishment, the building of self confidence, the team work required, and for the simple fact that my kid loves to climb.  I figured that she would get a lot out of it – that her horizons would be expanded and that it would be a fabulous experience.  I never anticipated that one of the things she would get out of it was… having to go to the bathroom outside.  When she is my age and looking back on her life, I have a feeling that she will remember that moment!