Camp

I cannot even start to say what going to camp meant to me this week. I took my books with me to do as much prep as possible and I am glad I didn't say no because God definitely had a great plan when He prompted others to ask me to come. It was a very emotional week, possibly one of the most emotional that I've ever experienced but it was hugely healing to my heart. Days prior and especially once I got there the memories washed over me like an uncontrollable flood. Everywhere I looked I saw Renee and it was once I got to camp that I realized that our shared love, that was unique within our four was camp. It was here that we had so many great memories together. Not only during the week but also hanging out in between weeks of camp on the weekends at her parents house. The camp has changed a fair bit building wise since I was there last but the spirit and the memories were exactly the same.

It's funny, and I've found this in other situations, how you can almost completely forget what was a huge portion of your life. I had forgotten about so many great things that can only be found at camp. Like cup games, encouragement notes, cabin/bunk graffiti, the food, tuck time, rec. I was amazed by the fabulous staff at camp this week. So many awesome kids, including my brother Chad who was working with one of the kids with Down's Syndrome that used to be my mom's daycare kid. Five of my mom's former and current daycare kids came up, four of which have different special needs. It was so fantastic to watch them really love camp and get involved in everything.

Going back to the graffiti, which is just notes and names that people have written on the bunks throughout the years, one of the counselors found something that Renee had written on one of the bunks. That was so special that I tried to find more in other cabins but I didn't find anything else. And on the last day I wrote something "back" to her. There were several times during the week that I was really prompted to remember and at one point I wrote a letter "to" Renee. It was part of this letter that I wrote on the bunk. It was such a great way of synthesizing my thoughts and my memories.

As I had said in my post before camp, one of my former campers is now an assistant director and I also had another former camper there on staff. It was such a great little reunion. They have grown into amazing women of God and I am so proud to say I was their counselor.

It will definitely not be another six years till I return to camp again. Now with being a teacher, I can definitely say I will try to go back next year. I don't know if I'd do the kitchen thing again. It wasn't too bad, but there's no sun in the kitchen and that's definitely a downfall.

So now it's back to regular life. Lots of prep to do this week as well as pack all my stuff to move it into my classroom next week. It's also our anniversary (#3) on Wednesday and this week (the evenings anyways) are definitely filling up quickly.

Cheers to camp, cheers to hope and cheers to life!
Krista