To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter…to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring—these are some of the rewards of the simple life.
—John Burroughs
Phil, having just retired from full-time work, decided to take a month off for the first time in his life. We hit the open road to Florida telling everyone that we would be unreachable. “We’ll be off the grid,” we explained gaily. “We don’t even know if we’ll have cell phone service or not.” Our destination, Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park (KPPSP) just north of Okeechobee, Florida, was miles from a city of any size. Bob Seger was singing “Roll Me Away”: Felt so good to me…Finally feelin’ free…as we pulled out of the driveway with the camper in tow.
Within three days we heard from most of our extended family, friends, neighbors, repairmen, and co-workers. Someone called from my optometrist’s office reminding me of my appointment. A newspaper reporter called to ask a few questions for her story about an upcoming speaking engagement. My sister called to report on her recent toe surgery.
In between phone calls, texts, and emails, however, Phil, Argo, and I spent LOTS of time together hiking, eating, and parking ourselves in the sunshine. One of the online reviews of KPPSP advised campers not to go there unless you really liked the person going with you. Good advice.
Palmettos and bushy bluestem dominate this flat prairie in January. We walked for miles on this 54,000-acre preserve and found wildflowers both obvious and obscure. Trails were so sandy they reminded me of dreams where you run in place as fast as you can and don’t go anywhere. Tracks were easy to see—people, horses, deer, dogs, birds, and raccoons. In the middle of some trails there would be a huge puddle too big to circumvent. Egyptian-looking white ibises drank and foraged from these ephemeral ponds. Savannah sparrows, sundews, and long-leaf violets thrived in open patches of damp areas. A Queen, sister species to the Monarch, nectared on Conradina, a pink-bloomer in the mint family.
After hiking, we would retreat to our little house on the prairie. Life in a camper is not only simpler, it is also s-l-o-w-e-r, cheaper, and smaller. When life’s clutterments are removed, simplicity emerges. With a simpler life I became aware that:
I like seeing the sun come up each morning.
I like hiking every day.
I like having popcorn and a drink under the awning in the late afternoon.
I like using a bathroom that I don’t have to clean.
I like meeting new people and hearing their stories.
I like living in rooms with very little stuff.
I like not getting any mail.
I like seeing my husband and dog having fun.
I like being on our own schedule.
I like seeing the constellations at night.
Did I miss anything from home? I missed my warm bathroom and the swimming pool at the gym down the street. I missed my bed (at the end of the trip) and my electric blanket when nighttime temperatures dropped to the 40s one night and the wind rushing through the Sabah palms sounded like a pouring rain.
Still, seeing tiny bladderworts in bloom hearing the meadowlarks, and watching Argo run on the beach at Jupiter were gold. Would I do it again? I would leave tomorrow. As I endure winter’s bite back home in Tennessee without winter wildflowers, I remember Kissimmee’s quiet beauty and smile a grateful smile that I could spend time there.
