S.T.A.F.F.: Adventure

When I think of the third flag in the Starlight Playhouse, Adventure, my mind immediately went to Oz. In my three years, I've only been to Oz once. For those that don't know, Oz is this really, really cool place on camp that has a little waterfall. It's an adventure to go to Oz because to get there you have to cross the bridge that takes you into the woods and then you have go through the woods sometimes making your own path in order to get to your destination. The one time I went was with Tyler and it was a lot of fun. Though we only stayed for a little while because we had a visitor! (That's a later story, maybe)

But then I thought long and hard about what else could be considered Adventurous about camp. DUH! Camp itself is an adventure. I mean think about. You are journeying sometimes thousands of miles to a place that can't be found on a map (though it can be seen on Google Earth) to spend two months with people you don't know, doing something that you have never experienced before. What can be more adventurous than that?!

The best part about the adventure is that it is never the same. Camp is kind of like reading the Narnia series. Every time you enter into Narnia it's a whole new experience with some faces you recognize and some that are brand new. That is exactly how camp is. My first summer, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I show up to be greeted by strangers and find out that they too are on the same adventure that I am not really knowing anyone else either.

My second summer I feared would be boring since I knew the ropes and knew pretty much how things went. I was completely wrong. While I had the same age group of kids, the new kids I had were COMPLETELY different from the ones I had before. And my kids from my third summer were different still. My co-counselors in the bunk were the same way. Different summers, different counselors, different dynamics, different adventure.

Both of my first two summers I spent on the waterfront...WHICH I LOVE!!!! But when I signed on to be an Assistant Division Leader for my third summer I knew I was in for another great adventure. By this time, of course, the friends I had to go on the ADL adventure with me were all just as nervous and excited. The team we formed was indestructible and we were all always there for each other especially when we were having bad days, family issues were making us want to go home or stress was just too overwhelming.

Probably my favorite adventure though was when I got to lead Sing with Laura. If it is possible to pick two people with completely different personalities to lead over 300 people in less than a week, I would love to see it. Laura was always positive and bubbly no matter what time of day or night it was. No matter how bad things looked she was never discouraged. I, on the other hand, was a wreck. If it was possible to worry about it I did. EVERYTHING!!! I had wanted to be a Sing Leader since I found out what Sing Leader was and finally reaching that dream was amazing and terrifying all at the same time. Laura though was my rock. When the mountain looked too high to climb she was there to give me that push that I needed. We eventually got through that adventure together with only minor scars and I will forever be thankful to her.

Camp is without a doubt the greatest adventure I've ever gone on and I'm so excited about the new adventure in store for me this summer!