“Kara, would you like to go camping with my family?” asked Tracy. Kara had never been camping before, but she decided to go anyway. That weekend, they drove to Estes Park. When they arrived, Kara looked around. She felt so far from civilization.

After they set up the camp, they went for a walk. Tracy’s father, Mr. Grieves, showed them the native plants and animals. “Look,” he said, “that’s a fox’s den. Do you see that bunch of mushrooms next to it. Don’t touch them. They contain poison.” Kara was bored. She didn’t care about nature.

As the day went on, mighty clouds soon loomed in the distance. “It looks like stormy weather,” said Tracy. “We should go back.” It suddnely began to rain. They used an umbrella to shield them from the rain. Back at the camp, they ate cold sandwiches for dinner and went to sleep.

By morning, the rain had stopped. It was a drastic change from the previous day’s weather. They folded their sleeping bags and put them in a box. Tracy closed the lid and told Kara, “Today will be fun, I promise!” Kara didn’t believe her. She missed her convenient life in the city. She was used to an urban lifestyle.

After breakfast, they went for a walk. The grass was covered with dew, and it gleamed in the sunlight. Finally, they reached a lake. Kara and Tracy waded into the water. The reeds swayed in the wind, and a flock of birds flew above. Kara felt very peaceful.

That night, they made a fire. They sat around it while Mr. Grieves told scary stories. Kara had a lot of fun. Camping was a good way for friends to spend time together, she realized.

The next day, it was time for them to leave. She felt sad while they exited the park. She didn’t like camping at first, but she learned how fun it could be over the weekend.