Lookout--you can see both the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers from here.  I loved this area of camp.

This is the way that a camper drew what I look like.  :)

From the trip to Round Lake

Training Week 2012

I have so many amazing memories from last summer.  Quite a few of them come from training week.  So here are a couple of stories from training week.

It was on that first day at camp that we (the staff) went to the BARn, a nearby bar that had been converted into a bar for a fundraiser for camp.  I remember much of what happened that first day at camp.  I remember the trip to Walmart where Jensen (camping/fishing director) was able to win some dinosaurs in one of those claw games.  Before I knew it, we were on our way to the BARn.    I only barley knew my way around camp--and that was just the main camp area.  I remember lots of dancing happening at the BARn.  I knew we had been there for hours when we left the BARn, but it hadn't felt like we had been there as long as we were.  It was just after 1 am when we arrived back at camp.  There were a bunch of groans from tired staff as we arrived back on camp.  I don't know if I groaned tiredly or not.  But I do know that I had a thought that has stuck with me since then.  My thought at that moment was "I'm home.".  It was one of those thoughts that I didn't realize that I would have working at WBC.

I also have a funny memory from training week related to the game Apples to Apples.  That's a memory that I won't go into.  But after that moment, "That's my card!" become a saying that a group of us now laugh about.  The third and final memory that I have from training week that sticks out to me is the game of football in the front lawn.  Not everyone knew much about football.  I was one of those people who knew stuff about football (THANKS DAD!).  There was a lot of laughter during the game.  What I didn't realize was that during training week I didn't miss home a single bit.  I didn't even think about home.  I didn't miss home most of the summer.  It wasn't until the last couple weeks of camp that I missed home.  I think that it was during training week that I found that I had made some great friends and that those friends were people that I have kept in touch with since then.

Here's the thing--camp did become home in a short period of time.  When you spend 2.5 months living with the same people in the same place those people become friends/family and the place becomes home.

Last summer's photos

Training Session--behavior management

The Director's room (WHAT A MESS!).  I slept on the bottom bunk on the left side of the photo.

Friday afternoon activity...trying to run in a straight line after having spun around with my head on a bat!

A director's meeting.  In the grey shirt with blue headband is Crafty Katie.  In the pink shirt is nature Lauren. In the green sweatshirt is Rec Brandon.  In the grey shirt and standing is the pools BG.  With the yellow headband and back to the camera is the pools Bri.

Looking down the road that leads you off of camp and into the sunset.

Before any campers came for the summer, and before a record drought happened things were actually green at camp!

I'm going back!

I will be going back to WBC (Wisconsin Badger Camp) this summer!  I've known that I am going back for some time now.  Recently my Mom mentioned that I might want to write a blog about the experience at camp so that I don't send out massive e-mails.  This way people can just check in and read what I've been up too throughout the upcoming summer.

Last summer was a lot of fun.  I am looking forward to this summer so much more knowing what I am getting myself into.  I hope that some of the campers that I remember the most come back this summer.  There are three campers that I hope come back--one who liked to be told stories (especially the one about the sunken ship (I know some of you who may be reading this will appreciate that mention!)), one who liked to call me honey, and a third who I have a framed picture of with me.

I won't be able to post pictures of campers due to privacy.  But I will post a few pictures throughout the summer of staff, and the camp in general.