Page 25: Eagles Fly! Goodbye!

In the end I decided not to blog about after-camp travels. I've bored my facebook news feed, family and friends with the stories about that "that one time we got 6 of us in a 4 man taxi at 3am" and there's selfie photos in 6 different US states, but I won't subject you to that. This blog was about summer and camp, right?

But I wanted to announce...
This summer I completed 10 things off my bucket list (!)
Which is ridiculously exciting, because some of these dreams I first wrote down in that notebook when I was thirteen!

$ Go to an american summer camp

$ Go to Walmart

$ Go couchsurfing (we used air'b'n'b, same idea!)

$ Visit an American college



Ta-da!

$ Go paintballing

$ Go up a skyscraper (empire state!)

$ Watch an American baseball game

 

$ Sleep in a hammock

$ Go white water rafting

$ Find and eat something grape flavoured

$ Spend the evening in candlelight and then blow out all the candles at bedtime


And, man, travel stories! The time my suitcase was declared obese by the check-in guy and I had to get the weight down. So after taking out the conditioner and jeans and seeing the weight not move I took out my journal and the numbers flew off.

Check In Bloke: That's some journal there, 8 pounds?

Me (embarrassed and defensive): I just have a lot of memories...

The Nerd Herd have actually just had a post camp reunion this week, Sean and I visited Ryan, Dominique and Ryan in Edinburgh! Here's us having milk'n'cookies at 9.15.



Camp friends, stay friends :)

This is the last ever 'I Like To Be In America' post. Thanks to anyone reading this, I'm happy you decided to follow my journey and I hope that if any young people stumble upon it they'll consider working at a camp. It's work, hard work and don't let anyone tell you different, but that doesn't mean I didn't have one of the best summers I've ever had (and I got paid for it!).

Bye!

 

Page 24: The Last "Letter From America"

Writing in the staff lounge, straight back from the Dining Hall where, after eating we got up on the benches and danced to Living On A Prayer. If you've ever danced on a bench with four nine year olds flanked either side of you, you'll know it is a tricky thing to accomplish. As well as shouting lyrics and dancing manically you also have to keep your banace and try not to hit them, challenging, as they are exactly at prime arm-hit-height. I think one of my favourite memories of camp happened ten minutes ago. 

You know how awkward the dance sections are in music? When the singer stops and leaves you hanging post-verse, trying to think of a really cool dance move to last the next 12+ counts until they come in with the chorus again, saving you from something you hope never goes on facebook? Right. It's crucifying. 

So. When we were coming up to the reallllllly long guitar solo I turned to Sophia and Sophia and shouted "Air guitars! Now!" and instead of leaving me hanging there like some over-excited institutionalised student, we all picked up our air guitars and jumped up and down on the wooden bench :)

Camp Echo Alma Mater

Can it be that summers ending?

Where did time go? Where was I?

We've been together, only a short while,

Oh how I wish the time had not flown by

Meeting new friends, sharing secrets

Under trees that touch the sky

Growing to be part of one family

Oh how I wish the time had not flown by

Children's laughter, sounds of summer

Looking back on treasured days

Memories will linger, echo bonds forever

Oh, how I wish the time had not flown by

Blue and White we stand tonight

Fighting tears of sad goodbyes

Though far apart, we'll be close in our hearts

Oh how I wish the time had not flown by

About a fortnight ago, walking back to camp from Outback I noticed a branch of red in the otherwise entirely green forest. That's how autumn starts. Summer's ending. 

Which means goodbye camp, hello (again) University. It feels weird that by the time I leave, I would have spent over 10 weeks and a whole season on this continent. I genuinely don't want to eat another Oreo for a long LONG time.

But first, before we head back to our homes in different countries and lives without sunshine everyday and children everywhere; ROADTRIP USA!

Because we didn't work nine weeks fo' nothing.

With "my peoples" one lunchtime a few weeks back :)

All the tents have been packed up, fires put out, trapeze taken down, animals sent back to a farm. Now all that's left is for the kids to leave back on the buses they arrived in, then us.

Everyone's heading to different places: Disneyland, West Coast, Bahamas Cruise, Canada are just some of the plans I've seen being made in the staff room. The usual suspects (Louise, Ryan, Sean, Russel and I) have planned some 'Eastcoasting'. I won't tell you where we're going because I want to surprise my family with postcards along the way, but let me tell you, it's pretty awesome and we're heading out of New York!

 ...Time to get "turned up"...


*This is gonna be my last post at Camp, I'll probably post about roadtrippin' when I get back home :)

Page 23: Echo Olympics "Break Out"

"Echo Olympics 2014 Morocco/Iceland"
Photo from Camp facebook page

A banner flown by a helicopter over camp announced the start of the Olympics. Casual.

How most camps announce Olympic "Break Out"

How Camp Echo announces Olympic "Break Out"

I didn't mind if I was on white or blue team. I just wanted to sing songs and paint my face. Sadly, this was not meant to be. I'm a judge instead, which means I am again obligated to wear yellow (this summer in my head shall henceforth be known as "The year I kept getting asked to wear yellow even though I am blonde and it was genuinely part of my job").

My suitability for judging a sporting event was questioned by everyone (including myself). I'm a judge because I live in a staff cabin and it's easier for admin purposes rather than any kind of sporting feat. But that didn't stop me from informing enquirers it was due to my "fine athletic abilities" (anyone who has ever seen me attempt to play a sport will recognize the hilarity int his statement.

My athletic ability, perfectly demonstrated by this dog

After accidentally referring to the Basketball courts as 'pitches' and exclaiming that John Wall was a musician the athletic staff assigned me to encouraging campers to cheer rather than keeping score...

"I ain't no musician!"

Page 22: Oh Hi, NY

If you want to know what a city is like, look at the road signs. NYC's signs are bright red and bright yellow, demanding attenton and they shout "No standing anytime" "Amazing things are happening here" "No stopping" and "Drive thru".

Arriving in Times Square is a dizzying feeling

Despite this, we found the city to be strangely quiet and very clean.

Welcome to the city where the street signs are as bright as the moon...

Arriving at around 10pm we headed for Starbucks. Now, I don't actually go to Starbucks (tax avoidance!) Team Costa, all the way. But, being a team player I went with the group and got the obligatory mis-spelt drink "Giorgia"...

The Nerd Herd/ Culture Vultures

We went up the Empire State Building at midnight. What the films never show you is that you have to walk up a load of stairs. Like, a load. If my legs don't look like Cara Delevigne's before I leave, I want a refund.

But once you get up there, woah. Looking across the skyline everything around and under you glitters. I felt very much like a fairy on top of a Christmas tree. It's not a bad feeling at all. This view, along with all of the 1920's art deco on the way up reminded me of this quote from the Great Gatsby-

"The city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise all of the mystery and beauty in the world"

Louise's Photo :)

We headed to the subway and waited for the B-Train. And waited. And then- a train! Oh, it's the D-train. Never mind. TRAIN! Oh, a D-Train again...Wait, was that-yes it was! A traaain! D-Train? Where are all the B-Trains? This happened for an hour (2am-3am). I couldn't help but think of Waiting For Godot, we sat and waited for an hour for a train that never came...

So we hailed a yellow cab.
Around six cabs into this cruel game of 'it's 3am and we're 100 blocks away from our hostel' we realised six-man taxis don't exist in NYC. Uh-Oh.


*Realising there was no way home*

Dominique: Seriously, what do we do now?
Me: Well, our first move is to act like polite and confused British tourists and use that to get us uptown and our last resort is probably pimping Ryan out
Ryan: Hey!

We did fortunatley find a way to the hostel, which may or may not have involved illegal means ;)

The ferry trip to Stanton Island was FREE
Louise's Photo (what a babe :)

The next day: Central Park, Wall Street, Stanton Island Ferry, 9/11 Memorial, Times Square

Central Park walk.
Get used to these faces, we're travelling together after :)

Page 21: I Made My Own Breakfast For The First Time In Seven Weeks

In Walmart I came across Raspberry Pop-Tarts. "Raspberry?" you say "but Pop-Tarts are either Chocolate or Strawberry and hella overpriced!". Not in the USA. Here they come in two shelves of flavours and are actually kinda cheap.

But there is no toaster I have access to in Camp.

Like any lack of toaster is going to get in the way of me and a Raspberry Pop-Tart!

I found a baking tray and placed it over the embers of last night's campfire this morning. Breakfast! Outback Style :)

Page 20: Day Off, Off To Jersey Shore

Back home if I was to say 'Luke Bryan' 'Keith Urban' and 'Jake Owen' people would assume I was talking about my mates. Here everyone knows exactly who they are. They are on the radio and in speakers at diners. In the USA country is a genre, not a joke.

We're playing 93.7 on the radio, the country station (a change from our usual dedication to 104.7, or 'the tunes channel' as Louise says).
While I've been here the road trip journeys have been just as good as our destination. Probably because I road trip on 'The Banter Bus' or 'Papa Pickles Road Train' (in joke, soz). Generally it's Sean, Ryan, Russel, Dominique, Louise and I and we spend hours getting lost on the interstate trying to get somewhere cool on our day off.

Ryan today is our radio DJ and he knows to turn up 'Best Day Of My Life' (American Authors), it's a camp anthem and it sums up the feeling of all of us on the road, at least in my mind anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y66j_BUCBMY

Yesterday was decidedly a beach day...at JERSEY SHORE!

I made a friendship bracelet :)

The waves at this beach, oh the waves. See, in the photo they look calm. Oh, the camera lies! It was a monster water tropical washing machine!

Dominique's photo :)

Man they were high.
And strong.
And bold.

Now, I'm not a bikini person. In fact, I haven't worn a bikini on a beach in years. I'd rather wear a dress and just get wet, or if it's a you-have-to-be-in-swimwear event (I generally avoid those events quite masterfully) I wear a one piece.
Not yesterday.
Yesterday I was Sara Bareilles Brave.
And stupid.

Let me tell you I am not a stupid girl. I double knotted my bikini before hitting the beach. That didn't stop the waves, oh no. They contorted that damn tie-dyed fabric into various states of half nakedness. And, just as soon as your sort yourself out another monster-of-a-wave comes along, hits you, drags you, twists you and drifts you five metres in three seconds to the shore. You quickly breathe, stand up and find yourself half naked.    Uh Oh. The same thing happened to Louise too!
You have to laugh, it was hilarious and body-boarding is a great way to spend a day but seriously, Neptune's a bitch!

With Ryan and Dominique :P

Thought of the day

Friendship is when everyone turns up their purses/wallets for quarters and dimes, puts it in a cup and- there's no way of telling who has put how much in but somehow it always gets you through all of the tolls across the state border and back. And if you come up short one day, next road trip you rain silver at the shotgun passenger. No worries.

Page 19: Working With Children Be Like

1) When kids get out their "flashlights" and search their tents with military precision for bugs then scream and run to me when they find one. You went looking for bugs? You found one? And now you act surprised?

2) In the dining hall line where the children, slowly pile their plate with food. One fry at a time...

3) The counselor reaction when we found out the eighth graders had sneaked into the staff tent and taken all of the Coke (they drink Cola, a cheaper soda. We stock up on good stuff and hide it)

4) When I spent my morning off at the mud obstacle course with fifth grade boys because it looked like fun and then after we jumped in the lake they ran off to their next session and I collected up all of their wellies "rain boots" and took them across camp back to the obstacle course because they forgot -_-

5) When sassy girls ask me how many s'mores I've had then tell me how many calories are in each

6) Trying to serve sixth graders at a BBQ
    (The concept of queuing has yet to move across the pond)