Camping at Home with Heat, Lightning and Thunder

In 2020, something hit the Earth like never before. Locked in our homes, wearing masks outside, avoiding contact with all others - our society has changed, and so has our troop’s way of doing outdoor activities. Our troop always looked forward to outings, but due to the novel coronavirus, we, unfortunately, have been set back from them. A few weeks ago, we had our first virtual camping outing, and now we have done it once again! Seven people from Troop 2199 joined a Zoom call at 5 PM on August 15, 2020 after a sweaty hike with 20 pounds in our bags or biking at a place of our choice. We complained about the scorching sun outside as it was over 100 degrees outside. We played games, cooked dinner, and also learned more about Scouting! Pasta, pizza, and burritos were just a few meals on the menu! We all showed off our culinary skills as we meal planned according to what we had in our houses. Before leaving the call at night, we had a long discussion about the pros and cons of getting a dog as some of us recently adopted dogs. In the early morning, we woke to the unpleasant sound of thunder and lightning, so we decided to finish our outing inside. After joining the Zoom call again, we started by doing various exercises like push-ups, situps, stretches, chair sits, and lunges to get our blood pumping. Then, we stepped away to make breakfast and came back with hot chocolate, toast, yogurt parfait, and pancakes. After breakfast, we talked, played another Scout-themed Jeopardy, and had a lot of fun! One of the most memorable activities was our food donation drive! We decided to collect non-perishable foods and donate them to those in need at the Milpitas Food Pantry as part of this outing.

Based on this experience, we have learned to start doing a few more things while preparing and participating in this outing! The wacky weather has taught us to check the weather beforehand so we can make the most of the experience. We also learned to start our excursions later in the evening to beat the heat. By taking a little time to do these beforehand, we can make our next outing better!

By Divya and Abirami