Cricket says "Hello"

I am running away from camp. No more s'mores, no more bugs, no more campers. I have accomplished freedom for the next 24 hours to at least give some insight into the fascinating world of stay-away camp. And what an interesting world it can be.


Now as an introductory note, I'm a novice to the whole camp experience. Growing up in the south side suburbs of Chicago didn't really provide woodland camp experiences. So I have no experience when it comes to the little ones reactions to home sickness. Let alone in the dark, solitary ambiance of the woods. I've gone camping, but that's been two day tops intervals where my own nice shower was at least 24 hours in site. The showers I'm equipped with are midget showers. I know I'm short, so having to squat to take a shower was a whole new experience. Also, if you think cafeteria food is rough on your insides, its nothing like camp food. Don't get me wrong the stuff is pretty tasty, but you seriously have to have a iron stomach to eat it. Our cooks name is Sausage, which to all that know me I could not stop making jokes in my head once I heard it.

Being at camp has also brought out a fondness for spiders. I just love those little buggers. They make pretty webs, they eat those pesty mosquitoes, and not one has bitten me yet. What's not to love? Wasps on the other hand, I have bug bombed their brains out without any remorse. Two have stung me, and those things hurt like the dickens. The first time I got they were defending their territory, but the second time...what did I ever do to them??? Seeing the girls reactions to the bugs though are priceless. Some time last week there was a little girl that was absolutely losing her mind over seeing a carpenter bee, and one of the other girls just turned her head, looked dead at her and said "We're in the woods." It was priceless.

The thing that has me coming back though is the scenery. It is absolutely gorgeous. The camp is located on a lake, and there is nothing more breathe taking than waking up and watching the sunrise over the lake through the veil of the woods.
It makes waking up at 6:00 tolerable.

I've also decided to thank my parents for never sending me to boarding school. Living with a group of girl 24/7 is exhausting. Your life is so compressed them, campers and staff alike, the reality of how shortly you have known them blurs. The experience is similar to what I imagine being stranded on a desert island may be like.

Yet, regardless of all the complaining I can muster up about this, it is most definitely the life experience I was hoping it would be.

But to all, I can receive mail, and I LOVE receiving letters!