My day started off kind of mellow, as mornings at camp usually do. At breakfast I sat with my friends in the lodge because I was too chilly to be outdoors (it’s hard to adjust to the damp weather when you come from the desert). As I was getting ready to walk over to the chapel for morning meeting one of the junior staffers asked me to help run check in. It was very fun walking around with a clipboard asking campers how they were feeling on a scale from one to five. Most were at a four, probably because of sleep deprivation.
After morning meeting and advisee the first workshop slot started. Instead of attending any of the workshops though my friends, a few others and I went down to the creek to wade and hang out. The water was pretty cold, but we all had a good time chatting and comparing how many goose bumps each person had. Then the bell rang, signaling that it was time for campers to start their superhero chores. Since I didn’t have to do my chore until the evening I went to play the piano in the lodge. I always love hearing other campers play music in there. Two juniors staffers were sitting behind me while I played, and after I finished we all chatted about music and what instrument was more physically uncomfortable to play. We then all lined up in one very long line for lunch, and my friends and I went outside to eat in the field. Field lunches are the best in my opinion, because the group starts small, and then more campers join until it’s one big circle. We all chatted for a while, and then at one point everyone just started holding hands and running around in a circle, desperately trying to hold on to each other. It was an iconic camp experience. Spontaneous shenanigans that occur in the field are a highlight for me. There was much laughter, and some yelping, though not too much because it was siesta so some people were napping close by. We were all quite out of breath after all that movement, so one person started a game that wasn’t so physical. I was tired though, so I went to my cabin and rested until the next workshop slot. I decided to go to the partner dance workshop in the lodge even though I also wanted to make fermented vegetables. Dancing with other people is one of my favorite things to do though, so I couldn’t miss out. I got to dance with two of the staffers, new campers, and my friends. We laughed a lot, and tried to dance tango in a fancy and absurd way.
I skipped the next two workshop slots and caught up on sleep. Later when I rejoined the world everyone was busy participating in the final workshop slot, so I lay down in the grass and looked at the sky surrounded by big, beautiful trees, and listened to the soft sounds of campers making pottery on the front porch.
I was very hungry at that point, and luckily, it was time for dinner. I got to cut the line because I was doing dishes later. I sat down at the table on the front porch, and people eventually came out and joined. We were so squished at the table that I couldn’t move my left arm, but I was totally happy. I then went inside to clean the dishes, but our superhero team didn’t have much to clean so we dried plates while talking about camp and prom outfits.
Evening meeting was short but sweet. Everyone who dressed up for Twin Day went to the stage to pose for a group photo. Once evening meeting concluded I ran to my cabin to get ready for the Variety Show. It was an especially great show this year, full of singing, awesome dances, and soulfully written pieces. I played an Elton John song on the piano in the lodge which was really fun. Everyone was very quiet while I played which was nice.
My night ended with a long game of hot seat by the camp fire. This time the questions didn’t get too weird luckily. I found out many people’s favorite colors, what they like about themselves, and which campers they want to get to know better. I went to bed after about half of the people in the circle had had their turn, which was at 11:30.
It was definitely a great day.
Kiki, Camper