For those of you who followed me this summer, this post may come as a surprise. With summer far gone, there's not a whole lot you'd expect to hear from me, now that I'm back in the midwest (and have been for awhile).
Yes, summer is long gone (for now), in fact it snowed where I'm at last night, and pretty much everywhere else in the midwest. (Seriously, I have friends reporting snow from every state in the midwest). So while winter is clearly on it's way, the summer still remains in our hearts, a statement which holds true to many people I know.
Spending a summer at camp is a game changer, and often life-changer for most. I find very few who walk away with summer camp without a change in perspective from when they first arrived. And this has held true no matter what camp you may visit. j
When I was in second grade, our family moved from a very dense, populated Wisconsin City to a small town about an hour north. My father took a job a Christian camp in Central Wisconsin, and so began my journey into "camphood" as I'll call it. Ever since I was young I flourished at camp. I loved it and everything it stood for. Camp became my second home, and the place where my strongest relationships have bloomed. I though for years that there was no way I'd ever find a place I loved more than here.
Until last summer, that is.
If you've read at least one of my other blog posts, you'll have realized somewhere along the lines that this past summer I took a step out of Wisconsin, and lived at another campground in Northern California for about 12 weeks. Going into the journey I felt a mix of emotions. "Would I ever come to like this camp the same way I grew to love the campground I grew up at?" I had no idea what the summer would hold, but I figured since it was camp, and I would be cooking (probably the third thing in the world I love most) I knew I'd like it, at least enough to stay. But what I didn't expect, was how much I really would come to love Northern California and CRM, my summer home. The people I worked with last summer were such a different group than I had ever worked with, and they were greater than I ever imagined. For those of you who know me well, or have visited Sky Lodge, you'll know that it holds part of my heart that will never be replaced. But if you've gotten the change to sit down and talk with me about this last summer, you'll have seen the excitement in my eyes as I shared with you the stories from my adventures in California.
I know I hadn't really given a "last post" about my summer. I wrote my last post at the beginning of the last week. I had intentions of writing a summary blog post during my final hours of travel back to the midwest, but it never really did happen, did it. I guess I just couldn't come up with a way to end my journey. I can't come up with the right words to describe the end of my summer. There just aren't words.
The last night was probably my favorite (and least favorite, since I spend the last full day of camp in bed, sick). But that night we had our final staff meeting around a campfire. Our boss, Vicky, told us all about the journey we had just embarked on, and how she had seen it evolve from beginning to finish. She shared with us her favorite moments and the impact we had made that summer. The rest of us too went around the circle and told our favorite stories and how we landed in the middle of the woods of Northern Cali for a summer, stuck with 15 other we had never met before.
Most of us talked about how we had no idea what it was going to be like going into it, but how we were SO thankful we had taken a leap of faith and trusted that everything would turn out okay. And it did.
So here I am thinking about what next summer holds. I already have a few options. I can stay in Central Wisconsin and work at the summer camp where much of my history has been laid, or travel again out west and visit a new favorite place. I still haven't decided at all which I will choose, or even if there's a third option. There's so many things I want to do, but I can't be everywhere at once.
I'll leave you with this. Take heart. Where have you invested your time and heart in. If you haven't, there's no better time than now. Life is short, often too short, and we need to think of others around us more than ourselves. Find what you love, and pursue it. Take chances along the way. I know I have, and while it hasn't been the easiest thing I've done, it certainly has been the most rewarding.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
Last Week of Camp
This week is a ball of emotion. This is our last week of camp, and my last week living in California [for now] and we keep having "lasts" that I'm not ready to have. Everyday is now our last "day"- our last sunday, our last monday, our last... whatever. And it's weird. Little things that we keep doing week after week is now something we'll do for just one last time. And I don't like it. I started packing yesterday. Or at least I started organizing to start packing. It's hard to pack when I use a lot of the things I need to pack, so I have a feeling I'll just be packing on Friday before I leave on Saturday. I'm just trying to take in everything for the last time this week.
Last weekend me and three of my friends went to Lake Tahoe again. We had originally decided to go floating on the river, but they were closed, so we went to Kings Beach with Ali's family who came to visit for a few days, and I'm glad we did that. Ali's family is great and her younger sister, Lanie, is hysterical!! We hung out at the beach and went out for dinner and walked around the village by their condo, even sat around an outside gas campfire for awhile.
This week has already been good. The campers are great, and there's a lot of them. It's the largest group we've had all summer, so there's always plenty of people around. One thing that's stuck out about this group to me is their names. And maybe you'll think this is weird, but their names are unique that it's interesting to me. And most of them have "normal" american names, but it's the spelling that's different:
Jaramie instead of Jeremy
Shayne instead of Shane
Leia instead of Leah
The list goes on, but those are three of the ones I can think of now.
Last night we had the special olympics. The night was full of fun games such as javelin throw, disc throw, hockey, badminton, 100 meter dash, bowling and more! I got to act as photographer for a good portion of the night and then helped set up pins for bowling. All in a day's work.
I know I've probably said it before, but I'll say it again! I have been so blessed this summer, and I am so glad this opportunity was given to me. I will treasure my experience here and the friends I have made for the rest of my life. I know this is my last week, but I'm going to make the best of it and soak it in while it lasts.
Last weekend me and three of my friends went to Lake Tahoe again. We had originally decided to go floating on the river, but they were closed, so we went to Kings Beach with Ali's family who came to visit for a few days, and I'm glad we did that. Ali's family is great and her younger sister, Lanie, is hysterical!! We hung out at the beach and went out for dinner and walked around the village by their condo, even sat around an outside gas campfire for awhile.
This week has already been good. The campers are great, and there's a lot of them. It's the largest group we've had all summer, so there's always plenty of people around. One thing that's stuck out about this group to me is their names. And maybe you'll think this is weird, but their names are unique that it's interesting to me. And most of them have "normal" american names, but it's the spelling that's different:
Jaramie instead of Jeremy
Shayne instead of Shane
Leia instead of Leah
The list goes on, but those are three of the ones I can think of now.
Last night we had the special olympics. The night was full of fun games such as javelin throw, disc throw, hockey, badminton, 100 meter dash, bowling and more! I got to act as photographer for a good portion of the night and then helped set up pins for bowling. All in a day's work.
I know I've probably said it before, but I'll say it again! I have been so blessed this summer, and I am so glad this opportunity was given to me. I will treasure my experience here and the friends I have made for the rest of my life. I know this is my last week, but I'm going to make the best of it and soak it in while it lasts.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Lassen County Kids Week
Well, so far, so good. This week really has been a good week here at camp, so far (I know it's only wednesday, but the kids do leave on Friday, so we're more than half way through the week). It's a nice small week. We've got about 50 campers and counselors combined so it's a more chill week. We haven't had to rush around the kitchen as much as some weeks in the past, although next week, we'll about double the amount of campers, so we'll end with a bang! Lots to look forward to next week. First, it's my "menu week" which means we get to use the menu that I planned for next week. We'll make some of the same food we've made all week, but I've added a few things and kept a few changes the other interns have made too. I'm adding banana bread french toast, alfredo-spinach lasagna, and white chili, so I'm looking forward to it.
Also, tonight it parent's night! This is the only week we have parent's night, since the kids are from the local area. We'll have a talent show and presentation that the kids will show off to their families, just to show them what we've been up to this week.
I guess that's about it for now. Also, shout out to Anna Lovisa and my sister Rebekah who both have called me and left lovely voicemails since I can't always pick up the phone with the time difference and schedule differences.
Other than that, have a good day!!
Also, tonight it parent's night! This is the only week we have parent's night, since the kids are from the local area. We'll have a talent show and presentation that the kids will show off to their families, just to show them what we've been up to this week.
I guess that's about it for now. Also, shout out to Anna Lovisa and my sister Rebekah who both have called me and left lovely voicemails since I can't always pick up the phone with the time difference and schedule differences.
Other than that, have a good day!!
Monday, August 5, 2013
Two More Weeks
Well, we're kind of getting down to the grind of things, we've got two weeks left and still a lot to do. This summer has sure flown by!
This week we're hosting a camp called Lassen County Kids Camp for kids from the area. They don't have any disability, so we're ready for a week of energetic kids (ages 6-12). It's the first full day of camp for them and so far, so good. Things seem to be going fine. What's different about this week is that it's a camp that we put on entirely: our camp director is directing everything this week, and we're in charge of how everything runs.
This past weekend was good and I had a nice 24 hours off. We went to the Burney-McArthur Falls. They're beautiful waterfalls about two hours away from Camp. I'm glad we got to go, since it's been highly recommended by all the locals, and it is a very pretty area. We got to dip our feet in the falls, but we couldn't swim in them. I mean we would have, if the water wouldn't have been so cold! Year round the water averages between 42-48 degrees, so we weren't about to jump it. Other than that, it was just a relaxing time off.
Still doing a lot of the same things I've done since the beginning. This week I'm on the morning dish shift, so I work two small shifts in the morning, and I"m done by 3pm, so it's nice to have a little bit of the afternoon off.
Here's some picture from this weekend:
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Updates
For those of you who have been checking my blog regularly this summer, I'm sorry for the lack of updates these last two weeks. So much has happened, and there's been little time to write about it all. Also, I've been ignoring the fact that I should write an update, and often push it off, thinking I'll write later and then it just never happens.
This past weekend on our 24 hours off, me and five other friends headed to Lake Tahoe. We camped at a local campsite (I couldn't tell you which one and there's like a million in Tahoe). But first, we spent the afternoon around Tahoe. After setting up camp, we headed to the Lake and visited Kings Beach. It was BEAUtiful! Lake Tahoe is such a pretty place. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I dipped my toes in the water for a bit and the laid out on the sand. There were lots of people enjoying themselves as well. Lost of boast parked as close to the shore as possible, and lots of happy children playing in the water. It was nice to sit back and relax a bit after a long week.
Then we headed out the the Truckee Carnival in Truckee, Ca. We were a little disappointed, though. It wasn't much of a carnival. I mean, there were plenty of booths and rides, but it was so small. We basically went, walked from one side to the other, rode the ferris wheel and then left. Not very exciting, but a cool little stop, I suppose.
By then it was getting late, and we stopped to get a late dinner at Jax, a famous restaurant in Truckee. Supposedly they've been on the Food Network and other shows because of how good they are, and I would have to agree. I got a falafel on flatbread and it was excellent. We enjoyed dinner and conversation before headed back to our campsite. By the time we got back it was 10:30 and we were ready for bed, so we didn't even have a campfire, which is rare.
Here are some photos from my recent adventures:
This past weekend on our 24 hours off, me and five other friends headed to Lake Tahoe. We camped at a local campsite (I couldn't tell you which one and there's like a million in Tahoe). But first, we spent the afternoon around Tahoe. After setting up camp, we headed to the Lake and visited Kings Beach. It was BEAUtiful! Lake Tahoe is such a pretty place. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I dipped my toes in the water for a bit and the laid out on the sand. There were lots of people enjoying themselves as well. Lost of boast parked as close to the shore as possible, and lots of happy children playing in the water. It was nice to sit back and relax a bit after a long week.
Then we headed out the the Truckee Carnival in Truckee, Ca. We were a little disappointed, though. It wasn't much of a carnival. I mean, there were plenty of booths and rides, but it was so small. We basically went, walked from one side to the other, rode the ferris wheel and then left. Not very exciting, but a cool little stop, I suppose.
By then it was getting late, and we stopped to get a late dinner at Jax, a famous restaurant in Truckee. Supposedly they've been on the Food Network and other shows because of how good they are, and I would have to agree. I got a falafel on flatbread and it was excellent. We enjoyed dinner and conversation before headed back to our campsite. By the time we got back it was 10:30 and we were ready for bed, so we didn't even have a campfire, which is rare.
Here are some photos from my recent adventures:
On the place ride back from Wisconsin, about mid-flight I noticed this outside my window. They fields were circles and stripes. Pretty neat if you ask me.
The Truckee Carnival
Ferris Wheel
Carnival: Truckee, California
Carnival: Truckee, California
Carnival: Truckee, California
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Camp Lots-Of-Fun
This week we're hosting Camp Lots-Of-Fun.
How is this week different than other weeks?
-There are less older campers and more younger campers. In fact, there's a whole cabin of younger boys and a couple young girls.
-There aren't as many activity times, so we've switched to a schedule we haven't had before (although it hardly affects me, in the kitchen).
-The counselors are all in college. Past camps have been mostly counseled by high schoolers or adults.
-There are less campers with physical disabilities and more with mental disabilities. There's no one in a wheel chair, where other weeks there's been 6 or 7 campers in wheel chairs.
-Campers came in on Monday instead of Sunday, so our work day on Sunday was more relaxed and fun.
Overall, this camp has a similar feel to what we're used to, and yet they're a little bit different. I think I've finally caught up on sleep and adjusted to the time difference. Hopefully that stays true.
How is this week different than other weeks?
-There are less older campers and more younger campers. In fact, there's a whole cabin of younger boys and a couple young girls.
-There aren't as many activity times, so we've switched to a schedule we haven't had before (although it hardly affects me, in the kitchen).
-The counselors are all in college. Past camps have been mostly counseled by high schoolers or adults.
-There are less campers with physical disabilities and more with mental disabilities. There's no one in a wheel chair, where other weeks there's been 6 or 7 campers in wheel chairs.
-Campers came in on Monday instead of Sunday, so our work day on Sunday was more relaxed and fun.
Overall, this camp has a similar feel to what we're used to, and yet they're a little bit different. I think I've finally caught up on sleep and adjusted to the time difference. Hopefully that stays true.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Family Camp
As most of you know by now, I've had the pleasure of spending the week in Wisconsin for Family Camp, 2013. We had the week off from Camp Ronald, so I flew home for my favorite week of the summer back home. And while I've been here I've done a lot of everything and a little bit of nothing. I've spent a lot of time relaxing- something well deserved after seven long weeks at camp so far. I've really enjoyed the time off and being able to not plan anything all day and just let life happen. It's nice not to have to make lots of plans for once.
While I got to surprise my friends and family, I was also surprised by a few friends of my own. On Monday, Emily Cushman showed up at Sky Lodge for the afternoon. Tuesday Shayna and Evan Karg also came for the afternoon, and I spent the night with Shayna before she left Wednesday. Emily, Shayna, and Evan are all friends I knew growing up at camp, and really got to know them at Family Camp each year. Another reason why Family Camp was the perfect week to go home- I knew a lot of people would be there just because it was Family Camp.
This week Jeremiah Bolich is our main speaker. I've been going to his morning break out session and evening service so far this week. I've always enjoyed Jeremiah, so I'm glad I get to hear him again. I heard him for the first time the summer before my seventh grade year. He was the speaker for Young Teen Camp. He's since then spoken several more time at Young Teen Camp and Family Camp now.
My free time has been spent doing many different things. Tuesday I had my first Slush Puppie of the summer. Slush puppies are a sky lodge classic and it wouldn't be a summer without one. Cherry's my personal favorite. I've also watched a few tournaments too. I got to see some of the 3-on-3 basketball tournament Tuesday. It was nice to watch because it was inside in the air conditioning and it's been so hot, I've been trying to stay inside some. We watched the team IronMan yesterday too. Four laps of swimming, four laps of biking, and four laps of running. Also, the softball game was yesterday so me and Kaila Johnson got to sit in the shade and watch the annual softball game- although it wasn't too popular this year because of the heat. They basically sat outside and baked in the sun all afternoon, trying to play the game.
Overall the week has been filled with lots of fun and surprises. I am more than thankful for my time in Wisconsin and I'm glad I decided to come home for the week. Although, at the same time, I've got to admit, I'm beginning to miss Camp Ronald and look forward to another month in California (:
While I got to surprise my friends and family, I was also surprised by a few friends of my own. On Monday, Emily Cushman showed up at Sky Lodge for the afternoon. Tuesday Shayna and Evan Karg also came for the afternoon, and I spent the night with Shayna before she left Wednesday. Emily, Shayna, and Evan are all friends I knew growing up at camp, and really got to know them at Family Camp each year. Another reason why Family Camp was the perfect week to go home- I knew a lot of people would be there just because it was Family Camp.
This week Jeremiah Bolich is our main speaker. I've been going to his morning break out session and evening service so far this week. I've always enjoyed Jeremiah, so I'm glad I get to hear him again. I heard him for the first time the summer before my seventh grade year. He was the speaker for Young Teen Camp. He's since then spoken several more time at Young Teen Camp and Family Camp now.
My free time has been spent doing many different things. Tuesday I had my first Slush Puppie of the summer. Slush puppies are a sky lodge classic and it wouldn't be a summer without one. Cherry's my personal favorite. I've also watched a few tournaments too. I got to see some of the 3-on-3 basketball tournament Tuesday. It was nice to watch because it was inside in the air conditioning and it's been so hot, I've been trying to stay inside some. We watched the team IronMan yesterday too. Four laps of swimming, four laps of biking, and four laps of running. Also, the softball game was yesterday so me and Kaila Johnson got to sit in the shade and watch the annual softball game- although it wasn't too popular this year because of the heat. They basically sat outside and baked in the sun all afternoon, trying to play the game.
Overall the week has been filled with lots of fun and surprises. I am more than thankful for my time in Wisconsin and I'm glad I decided to come home for the week. Although, at the same time, I've got to admit, I'm beginning to miss Camp Ronald and look forward to another month in California (:
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