Remember camp? For those of you that loved it, let’s take a stroll down memory lane. For those of you who never went to camp or hated it, snuggle up with someone who can regale you stories of an innocent time filled the spontaneity and curiosity of youth.

Peter Pan’s Lost Boys (Photo Credit: The Field Trip Society)

There you stand, your luggage beside you. Parents gone. Shed is the monotony of your neighborhood. Then, you panic because you suddenly realize you forgot to pack clean underwear. At that very moment, a camp counselor walks up and introduces you to a fellow camper. Instafriendship. The rest of the week is a snapshot of moments where you suddenly are a part of Peter Pan’s Lost Boys. You touch the sky from the highest point of a hickory tree.  You explore the woods for edible berries and instead get stung by nettles. You shoot a BB gun for the first time, thankfully not putting your eye out. You strike a bulls-eye in archery class, pre-Katniss. You and your Instafriend tip a canoe to peals of laughter and stay up late telling stories. You even make a ridiculous dream-catcher with yarn and Popsicle sticks (it’s for your mom, so it’s OK that it’s crooked).

Miss those days of adventure and discovery?

Well, Cambria Cox did, too. Dropping off her kids at camp, she hesitated at driving away. She wanted to relive the fun and curiosity that came so easily before the adulthood set in with its new requirements, responsibilities and rules.

She wanted to stay.

And stay she did.  She stayed with this idea on how to bring curiosity back.

For a year, she noodled and talked to friends and researched. She kept asking the question “What if…”

Then, one day, “What if” tapped her on the shoulder and said “It’s go time.”

Some like it Hot! (Photo Credit: The Field Trip Society)

Every great idea has it’s genesis…and this is it:

  • A friend called her up and asked her to attend a cooking class at the Delancey-inspired Pantry. She agreed to sign up the next morning. However, when she woke up…boom. The December 10th, Tuesday 10 am class was full. So were all their other classes. FULL.

(Cambria’s thought bubble: People want to do things. There is a need for this!)

  • Langdon Cook moved into her neighborhood. For those of you who don’t know Langdon, allow me to introduce you to the inspired master forager and cook for the Pacific Northwest. She contacted him and he was all about the “Yes.”

(Cambria’s thought bubble:  When you’re on the right track, the universe conspires to help you.)

Thus, after a year of digging into her own curiosity, The Field Trip Society was born.

Foraging Expedition: (Photo Credit: The Field Trip Society)

When Cambria and I met for coffee (shout out to Columbia City Bakery, best London Fog ever!), The Field Trip Society was getting ready for their 2017 Spring Season… and planning for Summer excursions.

What can you expect?

Cambria is the consummate hostess. She attends every event. She wants to meet everybody, make a connection. You can find her filling your drink or even washing the dishes after a bread-making class.

Classes each season include a blend of cooking, entertaining, then something with plants and gardening and natural pursuit that gets you out into the woods.

She’s even looking at fly-fishing and archery for early summer!

(Photo Credit: The Field Trip Society)

“I want to be building a society of curious people. I feel like curious people know other curious people. And if you want to do something, chances are that someone else wants to do that, too. The more you tell me and I put it out there, the more it’s just going to grow.”

Curious? I know you are…

Go ahead…

Book a trip…

I dare you…

No, Double-Dog Dare you…

 

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