Hi Reader,

It’s summer in North America, which for many people means camping. For me, it means remembering how much I dislike sleeping in a tent.

After many restless nights sleeping in tents with rocks wedged under my shoulder, I finally decided to do something about it. Enter my latest project: a do-it-yourself camper van that is currently taking over my driveway.

Her name is Mary. Apparently, naming your van is a requirement now. Mary felt right for a van project that’s part optimism and part what-the-heck-was-I-thinking, especially when most people my age are upgrading from tents to hotel rooms.

So off Mary and I went camping in the Laurentians of Quebec, Canada. It was meant to be a weekend escape and a chance to prove to myself that my whole “build your own camper” idea was finally coming together.

It was also, as it turns out, an excellent case study in how even experienced project managers can miss the obvious.

I thought I was ready.

I made sure Mary was outfitted with everything I needed to camp solo without amenities. I packed food from a Montréal market, firewood, my trusty headlamp, and a couple of fresh baked almond croissants from a local patisserie because priorities matter.

Then we headed into the woods beside a quiet lake. This was Crown land, which means it belongs to the government and you can camp there for free, but there are no amenities and the roads are not maintained.

To be honest, it was probably not the best place to break in my camper van.

Calling the road unmaintained feels generous. Between the massive potholes, loose rocks, and at least four surprisingly deep puddles that felt more like small ponds, it was less of a drive and more of an obstacle course.

Mary handled it well. In fact, she handled it better than I did. I was shaking by the time we reached the end of the narrow dirt road. Still, the location was worth it. Absolutely beautiful.

And that’s when I realized what I had forgotten.

Water.

Not all of it, but nowhere near enough to last four days. I had packed carefully, planned thoroughly, and somehow overlooked the one thing that actually makes everything else work.

Yes, even project managers make mistakes.

I had everything else I needed, including a garlic press for my shrimp scampi dish, because clearly that was a priority.

Strangely, people usually forget their toothbrush when they travel. I did have my toothbrush. What I did not have was enough water to actually use it properly.

The surprising part is that this isn’t a new experience to me. I’ve camped without amenities before, and water is one of my highest priorities. I even had the jugs in the van. I just forgot to fill them.

Luckily, I had a backup plan. My adult daughter was planning a day trip to visit, so I wandered through the forest climbing up tree trunks until I found enough signal to send an SOS that her mother needed water. And, as it turned out, ice too.

Once that was sorted, the rest of the trip carried on just fine. Which is the point.

The bumps along the way are part of any project, and sometimes they are what teaches you how to adapt, recover, and keep moving forward. They don’t have to derail the project, and they certainly do not define you as a project manager.

So what happened?

I think I planned too well. I focused on getting everything right and, somewhere along the way, missed the one simple requirement that made the rest of it possible.

We are very good at planning for complexity. Sometimes we are less good at remembering the basics.

Turns out I can build a camper van, plan a gourmet campsite menu, and navigate Crown land obstacle courses. But I need to make sure my checklist starts with water.

If anyone wants to go camping with me, you’re welcome to join.

Just bring your own water.

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