That sounds amazing! Welcome to Settlers of Catan. I love it. We have been playing for years. hardtaco, mk and I played last year. It was a lot of fun. It’s one of those Games that is different each time and allows for some discussion to occur while playing. hardtaco created a site wherein he and his family play and critique board games throughout this pandemic. It’s hilarious. You get the feedback from both adults and kids. It’s really well out together. I’ll let HT decide if he wants to share it here. But playing board games in a tornado while eating partridge will be hard to top. Sound like an amazing camping experience. The best camping experience that I have ever had was in Michigan. We took acid and made our camp next to a lake. I had a phenomenal “trip.” We listened to the Beatles and I found myself sitting at the base of a tree, the lake 100 yards away, yet right next to me while I dipped my fingers in the water. It was an odd sensation. The tree and I had a conversation. I know that sounds crazy, but it happened. When the effects of the acid started to wane, we realize we were out of marijuana. Disappointed we sat around the fire feeling the magic slip away. Just then we noticed a light bouncing down the trail; a midnight mountain bikers rode up to our campfire and asked if we would like to smoke a joint? He would forever be known to us as the “midnight rider.” He saved our buzz and extended the trip a little longer. That was an awesome camping experience. A tornado would have rocked our world. I bet for someone with a travel vlog, this pandemic has been super rough. Glad you are taking some trips where/when you can.
This is the part where I point out that Settlers of Catan is based on the 1982 game Survive! which is much more playable with small children. Especially since after you spend ten minutes building up the game board, you get to destroy it. It's also sociologically useful because (A) players who cooperate invariably beat players who compete (B) players who get one VIP off the island can beat players who get six nobodies off the island which says a lot about social priorities. I play Catan? But it's like Bridge - you have fun so long as nobody takes things seriously. As soon as someone starts to get good at Catan everyone has to get good at Catan and then it all becomes about board layout with the actual gameplay being an inevitability. Survive? Survive your ass can get eaten by a shark.
I had put my travel-vlogging days in an indefinite hiatus before the pandemic started, so that was no big deal. But not being able to meet new people and see new places has been hard. I've come to realize i'm addicted to novelty, and I start feeling trapped, stagnent and bored really fast. I've been coping with multiple new hobbies and skills, getting to travel mentally with books and films, spending time out in nature, working on the plastic non-profit... but it's all going to get harder in the winter and I already dread it.