Back in IL
Posted by Jackie , 22 August 2010 1:09 PM
Please excuse the delay in posting; I've been home for just over a week now and completely forgot to update about the final days of camp.
Camp ended on a bitter sweet note, as most things of this nature seem to do. I was so glad to get home, only be held responsible for myself, live by my schedule. I was sad to leave my girls, however, and all of the wonderful counselors with whom I worked for the summer. Summer camp is one of those crucibles that deepens and expedites life experiences, despite the short amount of time, and the friendships I formed are no exception.
On the last few evenings of camp, we had a banquet where all the summer's achievements were recognized and a few of the oldest leaders gave speeches about the importance of their time at camp. The theme was Winnie the Pooh, and the decorations were so cute!
These were the light decorations on the table.
A close up of my place tag.
The large banner for the banquet.
There was also a good-bye camp fire on the night before I left. It was very ceremonial, with a few of the campers and staff speaking briefly before we sang songs together. Everyone was also given a piece of birch bark onto which they wrote a wish; this bark was then thrown into the camp fire as everyone left the fire. That evening was tough for the kids. They all signed each others' Pinescripts - the camp's yearbook - and chatted for a while. Around 10:30, they settled down and I tried to sleep as well. The next morning, I was up at 4:45 to shower and finish packing my bags before I left at 6. After a long drive to Boston, I escorted two campers through the airport to their gate. Once the plane took off at 11:30, I left the terminal, got my own luggage, and reentered to wait until my 5:30 flight took off.
Since arriving home, I've been getting lots of R&R. I caught up on (some of) the sleep I missed at camp, saw some of my friends, and - after putting it off for a few days - cleaned out my suitcases. At the moment, I'm enjoying the break and preparing myself to go to London in September. Till then, my updates will be few so check back periodically until I make it abroad.
