Tenting with the MacKenzie Sisters

This blog is dedicated to all of you who seek adventure. This blog reiterates my weekend experience camping with two lovely ladies. Thank you for bringing me along, it is a weekend I will never forget.
 
Happy sister reunion to the MacKenzie sisters!

Jill (my cool roomie) and her sister Taylor MacKenzie were used to living moments away from one another their whole lives. This year comes as a new experience for the sister duo. Tay is at home in Ontario studying while Jill continues her studies here in Halifax. For any of you that have been in a long distance relationship, whether it is with family or a partner, you can relate to how tough being apart from loved ones can be. These sisters don’t let the distance tarnish their bond. To the MacKenzie’s, family time is important. Making family time a priority, Halifax was lucky enough to welcome Taylor MacKenzie back with open arms to visit her sister Jill this week. Let me introduce you to my roomie’s sister, Tay.

Meet Tay!
Field of study: Graduated honours sociology at Dal. Tay is currently working towards her Masters of Sociology at McMaster University.
Fun fact: Taylor is a certified yoga instructor!
Favourite memory from this weekend trip: Spending quality time with her sister in one of their happiest places! 

Prior to Tay’s arrival, Jill had an entire itinerary planned for their week together. Jill had scheduled a mini camping trip- and guess what?! I was invited! For those of you who have visited, lived in, or googled Nova Scotia, you can tell it is a beautiful place to explore. Eager to connect with nature, we ventured to the great outdoors. For any of you seeking an outdoor thrill, I would first recommend reading Niki’s blogs for tips and tricks that will keep you safe on your exploring endeavours! Check out my favourite Niki blogs: Hitting the 200km mark blog for Niki’s lessons learned on the trail, and her Wild Woman: Being alone in the Outdoors Blog. These blogs will give you all the know-how to make your outdoor experience a good one!

​With our excitement to get outside, we may or may not have forgotten a few essentials… I have to admit we were slightly underprepared to be camping alone in an undesignated camping area. It did however, make for funny stories! Yes we managed to pack sleeping bags, food, water, shelter, and a first aid pack but we forgot some survival tools such as a flash lights, a knife, matches, and portable chargers for phones. Learning from our trip this past weekend I would stress Niki’s tip to: “Always bring a headlamp, you never know when your plans may take an unexpected turn or end up longer than expected. Be prepared with other supplies such as a pocket knife, matches, shelter, a compass, and first aid supplies.” Don’t worry- we were all okay and had a great time, but you want all these supplies - you know, just in case!

I had an amazing time camping with the MacKenzie sisters. I love being outside. Connecting with nature is something I find so therapeutic. With the fresh breeze from the ocean, we picnicked and watched the sunset. Spending time camping with these two, made me excited to do a camping trip with my sister, Neive. Being outside and away from technological distractions created an atmosphere where we have the time and the focus to engage in quality conversations. Really getting to know one another better.

After a beautiful sunset, the night sky was clear and filled with stars. We were able to see stars like we have never seen stars before. I am grateful for having the opportunity to see a glimpse of this world’s beauty. Sometimes we get so busy I think we loose sight of how beautiful this world truly is.

If you have the desire to get outside, do it! Not sure where to camp? We find our camp by following a road and pulling over at a spot that we want to explore! We hike until we find a good spot to pitch a tent and settle into- it’s as simple as that! This is my favourite type of camping. You discover amazing spots that you didn’t even know existed. Exploring beyond the campground scope, you get the extra thrill of sometimes being the only people for miles! This is a unique and amazing feeling.

Thank you Jill and Tay for including me in your sister bonding camping experience- bears or no bears, it was an amazing weekend. Thank you for the laughter, the good conversation, and for being equally as scared of unknown noises as I am.
 
Stay curious, adventurous, and kind.
 
The adopted MacKenzie sister,
 
Annie