Hey everyone I'm so sorry I've been dormant for the past, you know, like MONTH but I've just been busy hanging out with amazing campers and these other people on the mountain that I see everyday!
We're on week three of camping and no two sessions have been alike, it's wild. The first week's campers were older campers, all of them absolute sweethearts. It was a great introduction to camplife.
Many things have changed since I started working at camp, but two that changed that week was: I now call everyone pet names ALL THE TIME. Hun, girlfriend, bud, sweetheart, girly, brother, sister, ma dear; it never ends, and; I am now a first-rate coffee addict in the morning.
Week two were younger campers (15-25) and it was constant go go go. One of my campers (a young girl that I ended up working with one-to-one due to physical needs) was wheel-chair bound. She was 14 years old and a typical teenager, obsessed with Twilight and Justin Bieber, these love interests seem to be popular among young female campers. Anyway, last week I learned just about everything there is to know about personal care for those in wheelchairs (and about driving electric wheelchairs, but it's going to take a while before that one is down for sure.)
One boy that came to camp stood out in particular for me, and I know I just don't speak for myself when I say he was a blessing. He was a typical 17-year old boy, by loving to make loud noises and having very little balance and the strength of thirty men, he was a challenge to keep safe. Someone always had to be with him, and throughout the week everyone had the chance to spend some time with him. He was always happy, even when saying his favorite word of "NO!"
Dude worked really well with him, being his counselor. In fact, during the talent show, they both skipped up to the stage along with Ferret and did a "bird-calling" act. This camper was always alert and knew what was going on. You could beat a rhythm to him, and he would beat it right back, the same call and response with bird calling. I really wish I could have worked and played more with him, he was amazing.
Along with the ninety different things we did last week, one of them was a hike. Mango, Ferret, and I lead a group of ten, all teenage boys, it was fun :) I could seriously hike with special needs kids all day, everyday. I love it to the max. The only girl was "Sarah", she was such a sweetheart. We saw a slug in the middle of the trail, and after I pointed it out to her, without saying a word, she bent down to pick up the slug and move it to the side of the trail so no hiker would step on it.
My heart has been touched by all these campers. They either will tell you they love you verbally, or by randomly hugging you from no where. They all have their separate personallities, but something they all have in common is that they all love, and love unconditionally. I sometimes wish everyone in the world would love so effortlessly.
It's been easy to show love back these past two weeks, but already I know I have my work cut out for me with this camp. They are higher functioning individuals, and more obsessed with drama than your afternoon soaps. Within an hour of arriving, one of my campers already had made a "boyfriend", and for the past two days it's been a rodeo to try and keep them apart. It's fun :)
