Reminiscent Thoughts on Instant Oatmeal

Once upon a time I was a third year at girls camp which meant I had an overnight hike which meant take as little food as possible and keep our packs as light as possible which meant we ate ramen and oatmeal. After spending a restless night outside (where we camped right next to a lake full of ice and snow and in the morning woke up and the ice and snow had melted and we were practically in the lake) in the freezing cold, it was time for breakfast. Everyone received one package of instant oatmeal and we all heated up water we had hand pumped and purified from the lake we pretty much slept in, and I don't know what it was but this instant oatmeal breakfast was honestly the most fulfilling, delicious, satisfying, wonderful breakfast I can remember. I had never really eaten instant oatmeal before and I immediately fell in love with it and managed to even get another package from one of the Men on the hike who got two. It was so delicious that when my family went to our cabin on hebgen lake for our annual summer trip and went to the grocery store for the first time I convinced my dad to buy multiple boxes of different flavored oatmeal. Interestingly enough, these boxes remained on our shelves for the rest of the summer. I made a package of oatmeal one morning and thought to myself, seriously. Did I actually enjoy this stuff at camp!? It is gross. I think it was the only package I semi-tried. 

    Since then I have stayed away from instant oatmeal. I don't know what it was about my third year hike, maybe because it was freezing cold, maybe because we slept in the lake, maybe because we'd eaten ramen for dinner, maybe it was because we'd hiked ten miles the day before, maybe it was because everyone else loved it, but for some reason, that oatmeal to this day has been my most memorable breakfast. Nonetheless, after that day I never really enjoyed oatmeal again, it just kinda grossed me out!

   Then I get up here, to West Yellowstone, Montana, and every morning, every single girl pulls out their box of instant oatmeal and eats what looks like a delicious bowl of steaming, warm oatmeal while its snowing outside (in june!) and I get this idea that maybe I should try instant oatmeal again. But then I think... nope I am pretty sure it is gross, so I refrain from buying any. One particularly cold day I notice Hannah, the girl I share a kitchen cupboard with, had a box of  strawberries and cream instant oatmeal. I started craving it. Weirdly, really craving it. I had this major need to try oatmeal again! And so I stole some, well I asked her if I could have some, just after I ate it. I am proud to tell you that I am now a fan of instant oatmeal. I don't know what it is, maybe because I haven't had milk for four days, maybe its because it is still snowing in june and freezing cold, maybe its because everyone else eats it every morning, I don't really know, but for some reason I totally love instant oatmeal again! Its not quite as delicious as I remember it being that cold morning in June four years ago, but it is still rather delectable! And well, now Hannah isn't the only one who has a box of oatmeal in our kitchen cabinet.