March is Women’s History Month. An annual month-long celebration highlighting the achievements and contributions that women has made to events in history and society in general.
With Women’s History Month in mind, I decided to tackle something I haven’t done since my early teens, camping. Going camping was not high on my list of things to do this summer, not as high as relaxing on a beach with a cold drink by my side and a book in my hand. But stepping out of my comfort zone to experience camping again did seem like an interesting activity. A break from my daily routine.
Now when I say camping, it’s not the hardcore stuff of going out into the wilderness and roughing it out nature. A visit to a nature escape would be just what the doctor ordered to ease into the camping lifestyle.
Before anything else, I’d like to thank Ford Philippines for graciously providing the latest iteration of their Ford Ranger Wildtrak for my trip up the mountains of Rizal for this adventure of mine.
With provisions stocked up and loaded onto the Ranger, both me and my dog, Hershey, were ready to hit the road.
The drive up was uneventful. Except for pockets of traffic travelling out of the city. The Ford Ranger Wildtrak performed flawlessly. Having power on reserve for those times in traffic when you need to quickly pass a slow moving vehicle ahead of you or enough grunt to head up the mountain roads with ease, the Ranger’s 2.0 liter Bi-Turbo diesel engine made those maneuvers effortlessly.
As my last creature comfort before roughing it out as the saying goes, the Ranger’s interior provided a comfortable and safe cocoon on the drive up to Pililla, Rizal.
Safety features like the pedestrian detecting Pre-Collision Assist and the Lane Keeping Aid with Lane Departure Warning systems keep incidents with other road users to a minimum. Parking Assist is one feature that will say is a godsend since the thing I hate most in driving is parking. Airbags and Stability Control also comes standard on the Ranger Wildtrak.
The leather wrapped seats are very supportive with side bolsters that help keep you in your seat when the going gets rough.
Speaking of rough, keeping things stowed in the truck bed in the back when the going thru rough terrain is made easy with the Power Roller Shutter bed cover. Keeps things all safe and secure back there.
After arriving at my destination late in the afternoon, the camping site had several tents, a few amenities and few necessary utilities that helped in making the whole camping experience a little easier to take in.
Me and my Belgian Malinois chose a tent that had air mattresses at a spot where I had easy access to the supplies that were stowed in the Ranger.
Since I got in a little late in the day, the first order of business for me and my dog was prepare for dinner time. So I got settled in and prepared to cook dinner. Quick tip when going camping at a known windy site, make sure to pack some cooked food that only needs quick reheating. Cooking under very windy conditions is very testing with the fire going out several times. A little ‘MacGiver’-ing to block of the strong gusts of wind on my part saved dinner time.
After having dinner, I realized I had the whole camp site to myself and my dog. Owing to the fact it was the middle of the week I guess, everyone else had work on their minds. With nothing much to do for the evening and the camp fire burning out as fast as it was started, I decided to turn it for the night early and catch sunrise the next day.
The next day, I got up very early anticipating a nice sunrise. The wind had died down slightly so life was a little easier where cooking is concerned. With sunrise box checked on my to-do checklist. Checking out the views at their view deck was next on the list. After a short 8-10 minute walk from camp site to the view deck, I had never enjoyed a short walk ever before.
No work deadlines to think about at that moment. Taking Hershey out for a walk, smelling the grass and fresh mountain air, I’m sure she had a blast that morning.
We basically did nothing that morning. Just relaxed and unwind. Keeping in mind that I was scheduled to leave later that day for the drive back to the hustle and bustle of city life and work. But for that time. It was quiet bliss.
On drive back to Manila later that day, I realize that being a woman in my line of work is difficult and the workload is tremendous. The #BreakTheBias campaign is a perfect way to lets the world know that the times have changed and women can also be in a field dominated by men in general. #BreakTheBias of stereotypes and discrimination. Be in a world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge forward women’s equality, collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.