Week 6

I found out that the camp is letting me leave early because of my brother's Dec. wedding. I'll be home for good the week of Thanksgiving. This is a huge blessing because I won't have to do so much driving back & forth. Plus, I miss my family, & I have plenty to do to get ready for England. However, it's also sad to think that I'll miss the fun things at the end of camp & especially the goodbyes! :(

We had a special meeting in our cabin about communication because some of us have felt uncomfortable around each other. It's been a little stressful, but still lots of fun & triumphs. :) It was fun talking about our experiences even though I'm not sure how much it helped the main situation.

Also, 18 of the scheduled campers did not come, so we began the week with 4 campers in our cabin. They were all sweet, funny, calm, & wonderful. Then on the second day, we got a camper from another cabin who had been having trouble with another camper. This lady was also sweet but definitely not calm. She talked almost nonstop & wanted someone to help her with everything even though she could do it all on her own. She woke us all up at 6:30 in the loudest voice, so it really put a kink  in our system, but we adapted & she even ended up not waking up until time to get up. I actually slept in the bed next to hers because it was more comfortable than my own. When I explained that everyone else was sleeping & that she needed to be quiet like them for another hour, she said ok  & didn't talk again for an hour. I was really surprised.

For one of our ladies, it was her first time at camp. She had never ridden horses, & I was the one that got to help her on & walk beside her. She loved it! It's things like that that make me want to work at this camp again even though I think I'd rather be at one closer to home that is teaching kids about nature and that pays more. Still, I already miss so many campers & the thought of never seeing them again makes me wanna cry.

Also from this week, on one of my breaks, Jonathan & I climbed a tree at night. On another break, we played pool. I won both games & even called the right pocket on the 8 ball on both. I also won both games of foosball. So then I let him win Scategories (sp?). One of the categories was Street Name. So I put a literal street (MLK Blvd) while he put a name someone might be called on the street (Money). I laughed so hard at that one! It didn't even cross my mind that it could've been that kind of street name, & from the look on his face, he didn't consider that it could have been the kind I thought it was.

Today I ate 3 cups of the tortilla soup Mama brought me all the way from GA. I'd been waiting for it all week because when I tried to eat it before the week began, I realized that she'd brought it frozen!

Also, because we had so few campers this week, I spent some time clipping branches for the camp to use at a fundraiser banquet. They hung jewels from the branches & used them as centerpieces. Then I also helped clean Cherokee, the guys' cabin that just got new bathrooms. We'll be moving into the remodeled girls' cabin TOMORROW! We're so excited! Also, I might go to my boss' house to watch the Rangers win the World Series tonight. :D 

If you're gonna write me, now's a good time to do it since I only have about 3 weeks left here. :)

Week 5

This week was full of great surprises from home. I got the cutest package from my aunt & uncle in Alaska. My mom & I loved the chocolate-covered blueberries & cranberries. The package also included different flavors of Alaskan tea which I'm excited to try along with some honey sticks. AND there  were playing cards with pictures of the northern lights...so beautiful! I still wanna see them some day. The package was also taped with the coolest/prettiest tape! :) Everyone who saw it made a big deal out of it. :D

Then I got a package from Sarah that included an awesome notepad with a picture of London on each sheet. It also had Skirt! Magazine, snacks, & a tea cup! And an assortment of teas. :)

Then I got a text on Friday with a picture of my mom at the Texas welcome center. I couldn't believe it! I was glad I got to show them around camp & introduce them to a few people here. It made me wanna cry that they had driven so far to see me. They did a good job of keeping it a secret, too.

As for camp this week, there was one camper that I found out on the last day would give eskimo kisses. Another one would make whatever face he saw you make, which reminded me of Anna, a girl I went to school with. It was so adorable & hilarious. He was like a big teddy bear. Another one had an awesome accent, & while I was peeling an orange for myself, he came over & said, "Oh, look...my friend is peeling me an orange." So I shared it with him, another camper, & a counselor. Then I got another one for myself. Anyway, that's when I knew I wanted to be his friend, haha. He wore 3 jackets that night, too.

Well, my cabin is still the one that's always late, so we were talking about it with our boss. They can't help but love us even though we're late. So, the boss said to me after a while of joking around, "And I can't believe what you did!" I was like, "What did I do?" She was referring to a note that I wrote to my unit leader. I told her that even though I hate being late, I'd rather be late & laughing than early & angry. Yeah, that's what she showed the boss. Haha.

Oh, & I recruited another person to climb trees with me. Jonathan climbed with me & Kevin. Jonathan is one of the new guys (even though this is his 3rd week), & he's been on the World Race (11 countries in 11 months) & took Greek when he  was in college, which I was so excited to learn.

Hope you had a great weekend! Thanks for all the mail! Keep it coming...I only have about a month & a half left in Texas. It's crazy how fast it's gone.

Weeks 3 & 4

So, after I wrote that post about the campers being no more annoying than anyone else, I got one that was super loud & always wanting to be hugging, holding hands, or touching someone. But I really enjoyed getting her to whisper & be calm & giving her rewards for eating/telling her she won't get to do something she enjoys if she doesn't eat. Seeing stuff like that work for her was so exciting. I actually chose to spend a lot of time with her. She was so cute & would usually help out if we asked her to. So I got her to pick up trash, push wheelchair, etc. to keep her busy & also keep her hands to herself. Anyway, by the end of the week, I wanted to cry when she left. I didn't know what I'd do without my shadow. :)

It's so nice to meet the parents on the last day & hear how much it meant to them to have the week "off" & also to hear the campers tell their parents about something you did with them. Now that I've gotten a little more used to how things work, I'm getting closer to campers that aren't even in my cabin. This week, Brianna was adorable. She's so beautiful & sweet & loving! I miss her so much already. She would get so excited when you talk to her about things she liked. She also was very gentle & kind toward one of my campers who didn't communicate. Brianna carried a stuffed dog named Shiloh & was very open about having seizures & asking if my campers have them & what sets them off for them. I just can't explain how great she was. Oh, & she loved Beauty & the Beast. I danced with her during "Chicken Fried" & she was almost as excited as I was that I'm from GA, so the lyrics "raised underneath the shade of a GA pine...that's home, ya know" meant a lot to me. :) When I met her mom, she was just as sweet & beautiful!

While I'm thinking about it, there was also a camper that wore a shirt with Sheldon on it that said, "Bazinga!" I loved it! :D Also, the camper that blew me kisses at breakfast also agreed to go on the zip line if I would be his date to the dance. Even though he shook on it, he kept backing out whenever I left, so I arranged to be with his group when they went to ropes, but he still was saying he didn't want to do it. I kept asking him & talking to him & Bernard, one of Austin's counselors, explained the process of the zip line & how he won't fall, so finally he agreed. It was so great because his parents really wanted a picture of him doing that. He gave us all a hug after he did it. His counselors kept telling me that he was all I talked about, so today another one of them said, "He woke up this morning at 6:30 & no one said anything to him & the first thing he says is, 'Megan!'" :) When I saw him, he kept telling me he had fun & loves me & is gonna miss me. Now you know why I love my job! His mom told him to blow me a kiss before he left, too. So cute!

Then I walked onto the deck & said bye to Chase. He said, "Megan!" & his parents said, "Oh, he was just telling us about you. He said he danced with you & that you were his date. :D He is one of the cutest people ever, & he had mad dancing skills. We spun & did our hands across our eyes. It was GREAT! His parents said they were so glad they got to meet me. Precious!

As for my cabin, we've had someone from a previous week of the Fall every week of camp except the first week obviously. So that's been cool. Also, I got my first letter from a camper ever & fed a male camper for the first time ever. Even though this was the hardest week for me to wake up every single morning, it was fantastic being with the campers! And I might go to the State Fair tomorrow. :D

Love

Week 2

I'm starting to wonder if there will ever be a week that seems easier than the rest. The campers definitley make it worth it, though.

I feel bad that I thought this, but before I came, I expected the campers to be really annoying, but they're no more annoying than anyone else. I haven't had a camper yet that I didn't love.

One thing about last week is that I wasn't scheduled for one of my breaks. I thought it was just because we only had 5 people instead of 6, but my leader told me this week that it was wrong. So it was nice to have more breaks this week. :)

However, this week still had it's difficulties. It was not a fun time of the month for me, so I felt grouchy & constantly hungry & my back hurt, which was bad because we had 3 campers that we had to push in wheelchairs & help in the bathroom. Besides that, I almost had a heart attack when I witnessed a camper back himself off of a 2 foot ledge while in his wheel chair. He wasn't one of my campers, so I didn't feel so responsible, & later I  had a blast dancing with him. :)

Some highlights are:

When a camper said, "Megan, I want you to get wet." They were supposed to choose a counselor to throw water on, so I said, "Why me?" to which she replied, "Because...it's not fair for Ebony to get wet...she's nice." Hahaha! Love it!

When I got to teach campers from other cabins how to juggle.

When campers wanted my address & a picture taken with me...& when one of them even said I was her favorite. :D

When we were at the cookout all busy making dinner & all of a sudden we hear a loud, deep automated voice from a camper who is like a grandpa that said, "You better keep an eye on Jason; you never know when he might run off." We all stopped & looked at each other like, "Where did that come from & did that really just happen? If so, then that's now my favorite moment of camp." :)

When a camper with hair like a lion's mane was so crazy in the morning that only a gallon of water would tame it. That night when the nurse came in to give their meds, the nurse's hair was down. It's usually up in a ponytail, so we were all like, "It looks so good." The camper agreed & said, "Yeah, you should wear it like that every day; it looks like mine in the mornings."

When another grandfatherly camper was so glad I danced with him & then said, "Where have you been all my life?"

When "My Wish" was played at the dance & it reminded me of my high school slideshow, so I felt like my family & friends from back home were singing it to me & saying, "My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to. I hope your dreams stay big, your worries stay small. You never need  to carry more than you can hold, & while you're out there gettin' where you're  gettin' to, I hope you know somebody loves you & wants the same things, too." At graduation, I never thought I'd be in Texas!

When campers were sad to hear that I won't be back next summer.

When I tried Starbucks Coffee for the first time because our secret cabin gave it to us at breakfast one morning.

Going to Walmart by myself during my evening off & discovering a little courtyard with a humongous & beautiful pecan tree.

Listening to a CD that Kevin sent me in the mail & feeling my soul revive from the exhaustion by seeing the bigger picture for a while. Another difficulty was saying goodbye to one of the counselors in our cabin who accepted a different job & will no longer be here. :( But that reminds me: we get a new counselor in our cabin tomorrow!

Getting so much mail that other counselors are starting to want more mail. Keep it coming, though! I don't want my reputation of being popular & getting fan mail to go away. :) Plus, I like knowing what's going on outside of camp.