I need your grace to remind me to find my own.
wow, it sure has been a while. i am finally inspired to write in here of course when i have piles upon piles of things to do. i guess thats how it works. (P.S. I have 1 and a 1/2 summer reading books less, 2 AP studio art project things, 4 AP studio magazine critiques, oh and finishing my chile packet which includes an essay ... crap)
This summer has been amazing, but I mean thats probably the worst thing ever to say when you are writing because that tells you nothing.
Chile was amazing. I really spoke a lot of Spanish, pushed a lot of limits, asked lots questions that had been on my mind, and enjoyed traveling to places that not many people get to go to.
I just figured out how to insert pics so I am going to do that!!
This is me in the ANDES!!
we went to the beach and then the mountains within 24 hours ... it was so cool!
fun times with aud and gracky
haha sorry that was fun to do.
so i thought that chile was going to be the most incredible learning expirience i've ever had ... but then i went to camp.
as i'm sure a lot of you know, this year was my final year as a camper, thus i was in sunnyside. i'm sure you also know that i have been going to camp for half of my life now, therefore it is uber uber uber important and special to me. so i'm kind of thinking sunnyside was like senior year of high school without the college applications (except we do have to fill out CIT apps for next year if we want to go back).
this summer was definately different from all other summers because i was a tribal leader (we have 3 tribes that are like teams that compete for this thing called the banner which is basically like the house cup in harry potter ... not a thing but a feeling - the best feeling ever).
i was chief of my tribe which means I, a med-man, and 2 braves were basically incharge of 60 girls (i know who would trust me with that ...??). The girls went from going into second grade to going into eleventh grade. we had to make sure that they would keep up their points (so we had to bribe them to brush their teeth and shower basically haha), we taught songs, and basically kept everyone pumped. I have never had a leadership position before so I really learned a lot about leadership and myself.
I learned HOW to be a leader (and let me tell you i sucked the first 2 weeks and couldnt have done it without the help of the med-man and braves).
I learned how to be happy on the outside even when I was dissapointed on the inside.
I learned how to be encouraging even when we were losing miserably.
I learned how to deal with dissapointment in general.
I learned to work with people who have different styles than me.
I learned I had to be quick to come up with solutions when there are problems.
I learned I suck at making simple decisions.
I learned that my strength really is not organization (and don't let me ever tell you that i am an organised person).
I learned that sometimes I am too nice and I get stepped all over.
I learned that things will work out the way they are supposed to.
It was an overall emotional expirience. I know that sounds lame but it really was. Not only because of the stress, but because of the honor of being looked up to by 60 girls, and the fact that after those 4 weeks a big part of my life would be over (being a camper). I got to do things I had waited half my life to do like standing in the canoe for lakeside, being painted for initiation, saying that Iroquois is the best tribe "Not only because it is a tribe, but it's a nation," picking songs at meals, Sunnyside chapel, sunnyside trip, sunnyside clipboards, staying up until 11 instead of 10 ... i could go on forever. basically every year of camp comes together in sunnyside. its overwhelming - but beautiful.
jumping in after sunnyside chapel - "never let you go"
tribal leaders before the first initiation (i am the one with the all black face and eyes painted like Kiss)
after trying to chew the gum in the whipped cream pie for the tribal leader relay (i will never be able to chew cheap gum again)
spirits 2006 (left to right - good cheer, princess, sportsmanship)
winning the banner (realising we really won ... pure happiness in the bottom right corner)
those are just a few of the beautiful moments and i would love to show you pictures of the sunnyside trip and my amazing counselors and "Charlotte's Web" (i was charlotte, the spider), and so many other things.
I just got to do so many cool things that i know some people will never do ... and i was at summer camp so in your face!!! haha.
it's so wierd to be home and not have tweedles (the youngest girls) giving you rib breaking hugs, or to scream my guts out everyday after lunch for the tribe, or being forced to take a shower everyday (haha kidding about that one). there is just such a bold line between camp and home and it's hard to reajust. plus at camp you are constantly fed about religion and God and at home it is almost sucked away from you.
and i miss all of the one-of-a-kind people i met there this summer. i've met the strongest people i've ever known at camp and the people who understand me the best. you know, the kind that know what you are thinking if you sit down next to them - even if you havent known them but for a few weeks. the kind of people that keep faith in you when you feel like you are failing. the kind that will know when you are having a bad day so they give you a bible verse that fits your exact situation or personality. the kind that can make you feel bad-ass or stealth even when you SO aren't (mattress sliding). the kind you can spoon with and just take a nap on their bed even when they arent around. and that's just naming a few kinds.
i love you merri-mac girls so much. and i love you home people too. dont worry - oh don't you worry.
This summer has been amazing, but I mean thats probably the worst thing ever to say when you are writing because that tells you nothing.
Chile was amazing. I really spoke a lot of Spanish, pushed a lot of limits, asked lots questions that had been on my mind, and enjoyed traveling to places that not many people get to go to.
I just figured out how to insert pics so I am going to do that!!
This is me in the ANDES!!
we went to the beach and then the mountains within 24 hours ... it was so cool!
fun times with aud and gracky
haha sorry that was fun to do.
so i thought that chile was going to be the most incredible learning expirience i've ever had ... but then i went to camp.
as i'm sure a lot of you know, this year was my final year as a camper, thus i was in sunnyside. i'm sure you also know that i have been going to camp for half of my life now, therefore it is uber uber uber important and special to me. so i'm kind of thinking sunnyside was like senior year of high school without the college applications (except we do have to fill out CIT apps for next year if we want to go back).
this summer was definately different from all other summers because i was a tribal leader (we have 3 tribes that are like teams that compete for this thing called the banner which is basically like the house cup in harry potter ... not a thing but a feeling - the best feeling ever).
i was chief of my tribe which means I, a med-man, and 2 braves were basically incharge of 60 girls (i know who would trust me with that ...??). The girls went from going into second grade to going into eleventh grade. we had to make sure that they would keep up their points (so we had to bribe them to brush their teeth and shower basically haha), we taught songs, and basically kept everyone pumped. I have never had a leadership position before so I really learned a lot about leadership and myself.
I learned HOW to be a leader (and let me tell you i sucked the first 2 weeks and couldnt have done it without the help of the med-man and braves).
I learned how to be happy on the outside even when I was dissapointed on the inside.
I learned how to be encouraging even when we were losing miserably.
I learned how to deal with dissapointment in general.
I learned to work with people who have different styles than me.
I learned I had to be quick to come up with solutions when there are problems.
I learned I suck at making simple decisions.
I learned that my strength really is not organization (and don't let me ever tell you that i am an organised person).
I learned that sometimes I am too nice and I get stepped all over.
I learned that things will work out the way they are supposed to.
It was an overall emotional expirience. I know that sounds lame but it really was. Not only because of the stress, but because of the honor of being looked up to by 60 girls, and the fact that after those 4 weeks a big part of my life would be over (being a camper). I got to do things I had waited half my life to do like standing in the canoe for lakeside, being painted for initiation, saying that Iroquois is the best tribe "Not only because it is a tribe, but it's a nation," picking songs at meals, Sunnyside chapel, sunnyside trip, sunnyside clipboards, staying up until 11 instead of 10 ... i could go on forever. basically every year of camp comes together in sunnyside. its overwhelming - but beautiful.
jumping in after sunnyside chapel - "never let you go"
tribal leaders before the first initiation (i am the one with the all black face and eyes painted like Kiss)
after trying to chew the gum in the whipped cream pie for the tribal leader relay (i will never be able to chew cheap gum again)
spirits 2006 (left to right - good cheer, princess, sportsmanship)
winning the banner (realising we really won ... pure happiness in the bottom right corner)
those are just a few of the beautiful moments and i would love to show you pictures of the sunnyside trip and my amazing counselors and "Charlotte's Web" (i was charlotte, the spider), and so many other things.
I just got to do so many cool things that i know some people will never do ... and i was at summer camp so in your face!!! haha.
it's so wierd to be home and not have tweedles (the youngest girls) giving you rib breaking hugs, or to scream my guts out everyday after lunch for the tribe, or being forced to take a shower everyday (haha kidding about that one). there is just such a bold line between camp and home and it's hard to reajust. plus at camp you are constantly fed about religion and God and at home it is almost sucked away from you.
and i miss all of the one-of-a-kind people i met there this summer. i've met the strongest people i've ever known at camp and the people who understand me the best. you know, the kind that know what you are thinking if you sit down next to them - even if you havent known them but for a few weeks. the kind of people that keep faith in you when you feel like you are failing. the kind that will know when you are having a bad day so they give you a bible verse that fits your exact situation or personality. the kind that can make you feel bad-ass or stealth even when you SO aren't (mattress sliding). the kind you can spoon with and just take a nap on their bed even when they arent around. and that's just naming a few kinds.
i love you merri-mac girls so much. and i love you home people too. dont worry - oh don't you worry.