Always camp with an Italian

My wanderlust caught up with me last week and I had to get out into the wilderness. Disregarding the promise of rain, I called up a friend and we made a plan to go camping and hiking. Our destination was Opal Creek, just east of Salem.

I learned some great lessons on this excursion:

• My friend Ari can make anything burn
• Secret camping spots make even a rainy weekend worth it
• Always camp with an Italian

My friend invited her Italian friend along for the weekend. A great call I would say because he generously provided all the food. I've never eaten so good while camping. Caprese, pasta with red sauce, olive bread, Italian espresso in the mornings, and sipping on port as we sat around the campfire at night.

That's me in the yellow.