So for anyone still reading LJ posts...
Wow, my first session as a counselor is almost over. Right now I'm sitting in my friend sarah's living room, on a day off. I'm trying not to cough too loudly in the hopes that ben can sleep, It's 8:30 in the morning and I've already been awake for over an hour, thanks to my body adjusting to the 7 AM wake up every day thing... for better or for worse. I'm pretty much sneezing and coughing on a bi-second rate. It feels really good to have a day off... this is my first real day off, though i technically have one more day and one more night that i should have taken off. oops. Complicated story.
So far, basically what's happened at camp:
I started camp really really badly, because everyone on staff has gone here since like age 2. this camp has the highest retention rate of campers, which means that everyone who goes here keeps coming back for the rest of their lives. I've never done anything like that, I went to like 7 different camps growing up. So it was odd, because here everyone was, really tight and close because they've spent every summer of their lives together, and then theres me, the awkward new person who no one knows.
But it got a lot better. I really love this camp. Staff here work insanely hard--we do all the programming, there is no programming director. We basically are expected to be "on" 24/7. We're constantly covering the kids, making sure that they're paying attention, making sujre that their involved, making sure that they're excited about whatever we're doing. Basically, there's a lot expected from us. I think that's good, but after a while it just gets massively exhausting.
I had a cabin of 13 9 year old girls, and they were insane. Some of them are amazing, some of them are actually so obnoxious I can't wait to get rid of them. Its been fun, but I'll be excited when this session is over so I can stop being a mom. II've had so many of them be homesick, I've had so many of them wet their pants or their beds, I've had so many get sick, I've put on so much sunscreen, etc. Basically, I've spent my last 4 weeks as a Mom. I still think it was a good unit to start with though-- the kids didn't care that I was new because some of them were new too. And they're really cute sometimes. One of my campers wrote about me in her service part, saying that I was her Jewish role model. I must be doing something right.
We do a ton of singing here, too. Which I love. we sing 5 times a day, every day. I've gotten to songlead a lot. For the past 2 weeks I've had no voice though, which has sucked a lot. I really want to be able to sing decently, but I can't.
Reason number 500 that i can't wait for this session to end is intersession, and having a break from campers for a little bit. yay! And THEN, my beloved Hannah Tuchin comes to camp! my very own freshman! yay! I'm highly excited. Especially considering that I might actually be in her unit. If she is, I'll make sure camp treats her well.
Oh, I've also gotten really close to danny nichols since I got here. He's a really awesome incredible guy. He's seriously the nicest person on earth. and its sincere. He's also hilarious. But mostly he's just super nice. The camp director told me that "danny is a big fan of yours." This is his home camp, so he's pretty crazy when he comes here. I watched a 200 pound guy give him a lap dance while he was blindfolded. My life is complete. When he visited earlier, he spent a half hour sitting there talking to me, and then afterwards thanked me and apologized for taking up my off hour.
Enough rambling, I should go find some breakfast, and a secluded place where I can cough without waking anyone up. Considering how sick I am though (thanks in large part to my campers, who cough on me on a regular basis) I think I'd have to go pretty far without being heard.
Love you all ,and I miss you all, and I probably haven't written to any of you because I'm really lazy, but knwo that I love you and that i'd love mail more than anything.
So far, basically what's happened at camp:
I started camp really really badly, because everyone on staff has gone here since like age 2. this camp has the highest retention rate of campers, which means that everyone who goes here keeps coming back for the rest of their lives. I've never done anything like that, I went to like 7 different camps growing up. So it was odd, because here everyone was, really tight and close because they've spent every summer of their lives together, and then theres me, the awkward new person who no one knows.
But it got a lot better. I really love this camp. Staff here work insanely hard--we do all the programming, there is no programming director. We basically are expected to be "on" 24/7. We're constantly covering the kids, making sure that they're paying attention, making sujre that their involved, making sure that they're excited about whatever we're doing. Basically, there's a lot expected from us. I think that's good, but after a while it just gets massively exhausting.
I had a cabin of 13 9 year old girls, and they were insane. Some of them are amazing, some of them are actually so obnoxious I can't wait to get rid of them. Its been fun, but I'll be excited when this session is over so I can stop being a mom. II've had so many of them be homesick, I've had so many of them wet their pants or their beds, I've had so many get sick, I've put on so much sunscreen, etc. Basically, I've spent my last 4 weeks as a Mom. I still think it was a good unit to start with though-- the kids didn't care that I was new because some of them were new too. And they're really cute sometimes. One of my campers wrote about me in her service part, saying that I was her Jewish role model. I must be doing something right.
We do a ton of singing here, too. Which I love. we sing 5 times a day, every day. I've gotten to songlead a lot. For the past 2 weeks I've had no voice though, which has sucked a lot. I really want to be able to sing decently, but I can't.
Reason number 500 that i can't wait for this session to end is intersession, and having a break from campers for a little bit. yay! And THEN, my beloved Hannah Tuchin comes to camp! my very own freshman! yay! I'm highly excited. Especially considering that I might actually be in her unit. If she is, I'll make sure camp treats her well.
Oh, I've also gotten really close to danny nichols since I got here. He's a really awesome incredible guy. He's seriously the nicest person on earth. and its sincere. He's also hilarious. But mostly he's just super nice. The camp director told me that "danny is a big fan of yours." This is his home camp, so he's pretty crazy when he comes here. I watched a 200 pound guy give him a lap dance while he was blindfolded. My life is complete. When he visited earlier, he spent a half hour sitting there talking to me, and then afterwards thanked me and apologized for taking up my off hour.
Enough rambling, I should go find some breakfast, and a secluded place where I can cough without waking anyone up. Considering how sick I am though (thanks in large part to my campers, who cough on me on a regular basis) I think I'd have to go pretty far without being heard.
Love you all ,and I miss you all, and I probably haven't written to any of you because I'm really lazy, but knwo that I love you and that i'd love mail more than anything.