Sundae night

Tuesday evening we had just finished age group time and were sat in a circle in the art barn when suddenly reville blows. There's a moment of silence as the girls figure out what's happening then it hits them, they scream and run in a huge stampede towards the main house with the knowledge there's huge amounts of ice cream and toppings waiting for them.

Of course personally I would have made it on a Sunday night because I'm a sucker for a good pun but then again it wouldn't have been much of a surprise that way. The ice cream consumption was loud but in comparison to the legends of previous years it was very very tame. Ice cream was painted on to people's faces instead of thrown across the room and most people were seated instead of running around whilst eating. I was also sat at the calmest table with 5 other counsellors and one camper, so I got to eat my ice cream with no stress.

It was good fun and the campers loved it and were very hyped up afterwards but luckily I was not on hill that night so was able to leave the madness of trying to calm girls down enough to sleep.

Trustees weekend.

Saturday was a big day at Aloha. The morning started off with us covering campers faces in plaster of paris at the art barn as we made masks which was great fun and felt a little strange but now I do have a mask molded perfectly(ish) to my face. Then late afternoon and into the evening we had All Aloha night at Lanikila which is when all of the three residential camps get together and see parts of each others show from the weekend before and have dinner and dance. It was lots of fun and my favorites part by far was when we got to see part of Lanikila's show again! Lanikila did a show called the Pyjama game which I saw on show weekend and loved so much. It's basically about a pyjama factory who is petitioning for 7 and a half cents raise but then the leaded of the group falls in love with the superintendent of the factory (drama right!) and there are some great songs that are just great fun. Oh and of course the majority of the characters are female and its put on by a boys camp of ages 8-14... HILARIOUS!

Captivated by the entertainment.

After taps we then had the trustees party with all the trustees and counsellors of all the camps. That wad a lot of fun. It was held in the art barn which we had spent time cleaning and decorating and it looked fantastic! It was a good evening and I had a nice time chatting with other counsellors and some of the trustees.

An afternoon Luau

Its only the third full day of second half and so much has already happened! The first couple of days were great getting to meet and get to know all the new campers (OK not all but a lot) and I really got to know my new tent family which is great (they are awesome campers). The first couple of days were unbearably hot and humid (especially as counsellors were in CCC all weekend!) but then we finally had a big storm and it rained and thundered and lightening and it was a lot cooler today. Still nice and warm but wasn't at risk of melting. Unfortunately though I have acquired a sore throat,. Its OK talking wise but when I eat and swallow food it is quite painful.

However, this afternoon we had a Luau! As I talked about in a previous post, during first half we have an event called MJ's Mayhem which is a really fun day of cool activities and fun-ness. This year it was decided there should be something second half to match it so it was decided we'd have a Luau. This was only from midday and it wasn't as crazy as the kids weren't fed nearly as much sugar but it was a really fun and pretty chill afternoon and evening with some great activities and all the campers had a blast as did the counsellors so it was a win-win situation.

I'm also feeling very loved as I have received post 3 days in a row!!! First I got a package from my Mother and brothers which included some éclairs! Then a letter from Hayley which was a good length (Hayley an even longer letter is on its way back to you) and then today I received 2 cards from my aunt and uncle but I only opened one as I suspect the other may be a birthday card but I can't be sure.. What's quite bizarre though is that the package took nearly 3 weeks to get here which is long even for an international package I feel. But then the letter from Hayley took 6 days then the card from my aunt took only 3 days!! That's very fast, especially considering one of my campers letters took 5 days to arrive from Chicago!

This whole post has been wrote on a windows 8 PC and as my mum knows I really don't like these as I refuse to use her laptop as its the same kind and I find it confusing and weird, also the @ button is above the 2 now which is different! Maybe being way from technology is making me more incompetent....

And so it begins again..

Here we go round 2! My second half campers have arrived and my new tent family has been formed. They have all been to hive (the younger girls camp) and one is a returner so they know the most of how camp and more specifically Aloha works. Opening day and today we're scorching hot, I was not able to cope and everyone was a little cranky as the humidity especially was unbearable but this afternoon a thunderstorm rolled in and has cooled it down a lot. It did mean that our evening programme got changed from play fair (which is a mix of getting to know you games) to a trivia quiz night in the hale which was good fun. Luckily this time the storm didn't attack our electricity like last time so we were able to shower and use the loo's, luxuries of camp.

Today I received my second delivery of mail since being at camp (which is just over 5 weeks now) and it was letters and postcards from my mum and brothers and some sweets. It was so great receiving post (hint, hint, send me post!). My family is in Majorca at regiment on a holiday which I am sad to be missing out on, as great as it is here and I wouldn't swap it for the world it's still strange to miss my family holiday, especially as I am not with my family for any birthdays this year as my parents, brothers and my own are all whilst I'm in the states and my sister was when I was back at uni.

It's weird to think I'm over half way through. I'm excited for my travels to get under way but it does mean I need to start planning and booking places to stay and transport. I was going to go to Niagra falls straight after camp before New York but no one else is doing that and I've been repeatedly told its much better from the Canada side which I can't go to so not sire it's worth the money if it would only be so-so, maybe it's better to wait to come back and go over to Canada. Nevertheless even without Niagra Falls I've got some planning to do for my travels and adventures which I will of course be updating you on as they happen.

Show weekend.

I don't even know what just happened... Show weekend was hectic! Parents started arriving on Friday to visit for the weekend, and if their child is a half season camper take them home on Sunday. Friday night parents, campers and counsellors got to see the show but we didn't have to watch the show at our own camp and had the choice to go see Lanakila's or Hives instead. There was a big group that decided to go to Lanakila, after all we had already seen Aloha's show on the Wednesday dress rehearsal. Lanakila put on a show called 'The pyjama show'. It was a bot bizarre to say the least especially seeing 10 year old boys dressed up as middle aged women.. But none the less it was good fun. Parents then went to stay wherever it may be they were staying for the night and returned the next day and took their child out for a picnic on camp (or at Lanakila or Hive of they had a sibling to meet up with). Saturday was a busy day for counsellors as we were meeting numerous campers parents and offering activities for both campers and their families! The art barn was closed though as in the afternoon we had an art show for all the campers work so we had to set it all up. Once again that evening we could see the show nut this tome we had to stay in camp hut for those who didn't want to watch it again we could hang out around the main house, play board games and chill.

Sunday was the big one. Sunday about 60 campers were going hone including my tent family. Most campers didn't leave until after lunch but mine all left pretty early due to long drives, planes to catch and one who was going to Lanakila to spend the last few hours there with her brother. The.morning was a bit bizarre with parents arriving and the start of the goodbyes. We had Sunday service in the hale as usual expect with a lot of parents joining us. The girls council did some emotional speeches making a lot of people cry. After lunch we sat in the garden with ice cream and singing songs before we had to say goodbye to everyone else who was leaving at the half.

I'm now on a 24hr day off before the 40 or so second half campers arrive and I start it all over again. I'm looking foward to it but I do feel like the girls I just learnt the names of have just left!

English day

I love America. It's great in so many ways but I do miss home, not so much the weather but watching movies in bed with my sister and English bacon. I can't bring my sister over to America unfortunately so I, along with a couple of campers, thought we'd bring over a little bit of Britain.

We decided to host a Sherlock Holmes murder mystery with suspects such as Kate Middleton and Harry Styles (who was the muderer) and other departments had British themed activities all morning such as rounders, GB seat racing in crew and polo on bikes.

During announcements counsellors had to speak in British accents and at lunch we all sang the English national anthem and had Bangers and mash. It was so good. The kitchen served a bit of a bizarre gravy though that was basically pureed vegetables.. Dessert was scones. The kitchen didn't serve jam with them but the scones they made had white chocolate and jam in them so with a bit of cream they were delicious! I had to teach everyone at my table how to properly eat acetone though as they started just putting the cream on top so I told them to cut in half and put the cream in the middle but they all cut vertically down the middle!

I'm still yet to have some English bacon and I think that might have to wait till I land back on hone soil but man is that first bacon sandwhich a taste good!!

All out day

In the last week of first half we have 'All out day' where the entire camp leaves to go on various trips leaving only the campers in the show to rehearse and a few counsellors to clean and prepare for parents weekend. Then in the evening the whole camp gets to see the show. Today was all out day and myself and all the other art barn counsellors stayed to clean the art barn so I spent the morning organising and tidying wool and fabrics. At lunch we sat down to eat our (disappointing packed lunches) but then lolly came back with a whole host of snacks for us (Hershey kisses are great!) But whilst eating o felt a bug in my hair so went to pick it out only to realise when I got stung that it was a bee....

In the afternoon I was on duty in the kitchen as Wednesday is the kitchen staffs day off so a few counsellors volunteer each week to help out on that day. I really enjoyed it and one of the chefs who hung back to help us taught me how to make salad dressing from scratch. I was pretty proud of the result.

Evening programme was watching the show, which was technically a dress rehearsal in preparation for show weekend. The show was "High school musical" and was a lot of fun to watch. The whole camp watched and was cracking up at the dramatic interpretations of Miss Darbis and Ryan in particular. The songs are now stuck in everyone's heads though and they're signing and humming them which is already getting irritating.

MJ's Mayhem

MJ's Mayhem is a day at camp where structure and rules go out the window and the kids get a constant supply of sugar and there are different and fun activities happening throughout the day. Counsellors sign up to help out at a few but also get time to chill and join in as well. The morning started off with a lazy breakfast so campers could have a bit of a lie in if they wished (not many did seeing as breakfast was lucky charms and doughnuts!) There were three hours of activities in the morning which campers could float around at their lesiure. The first hour, I was assigned to be in the unit but no one was around and it was so hot I sunbathed for the  time so far this summer. Then I was on mattress surfing. That was loads of fun, the set up is basically a tarp laid on a hill covered in water and soap with mattress that you run and jump on and you go shooting down the hill. My third hour of the morning was spent at the art barn having paint filled sponges thrown at me. Campers were slow to show up at first but the four of us working it had a great tine throwing them amongst ourselves till they did. Now we all have cool tie dye looking t-shirts!

After this we were covered in paint so we jumped in the lake where we had a counsellor swim before lunch. In the afternoon I wasn't assigned to any activities so was able to attend whichever activities I wanted. I spent the first hour at kayaking where I half helped and half joined in with the challenge of running across 5 overturned kayaks. I did not succeed. I also had a go on the canoe slip and slide, where you run and jump through a hula hoop onto an overturned canoe which is hanging off the dock to create a slide. After that I went and got an ice cream cone and chilled by the lake then we had rest hour where I had a great hour long nap! After dinner the camp headed down to the Hale for a movie, I have never seen 150 girls so excited for a film! We watched 'The Princess Diaries'  (great film in case you haven't seen it) and got candy to eat whilst we watched it. It was a really great day and I felt so chilled by the end of it which o wasn't expecting as I thought counsellors might be more stressed then normal with kids just running around hyped up and doing what they want. I wouldn't mind having another day of mayhem again this week.

Pie and spa makes for a great day off

Days off are the best thing in the world. They are much needed by all the counselors as it is so full on that having just a day to chill and do what you want is to refreshing (its especially nice to order whatever meal you want and not have to pass around everyone's food first and pour everyone water)! Counselors come back from days off so refreshed. This week I had the day off with Molly, Hilda, Merrida and Shel in Hanover. We started the day at Lou's, a really nice bakery where we had breakfast. It was like a traditional American diner/bakery with stools and booths and pie!

We then wondered around for the morning going to some shops and bookstores before heading to the library...ahh internet. We went to see Maleficent at the cinema then I skyped my mum and sister. It was the first time I'd seen them since being in America and I got to be a part of my mum's birthday, it was a day early but they had her birthday cake and my mum opened her presents from me which I had brought and wrapped before I left. It was nice to see them and catch up a bit.

We then headed to Bradford for dinner at a really nice Italian restaurant where we got soo much food! We then went to a few shops, I got a really cool Vermont tshirt (Molly and Merrida got matching ones) and then we went to a well known place in the area, 'Dan and Whits' which is a general store with the slogan "If we don't have, you don't need it". It really did have everything! Once we were done there we started heading back to do but it was only just passed 8pm so we're thinking what else we could do and we came up with going to the LMI and nice hotel across the river and chill in the hot tub. This did involve a rather interesting mission of sneaking back onto camp to get out swimsuits

From social events to the working day

Camp is great. I really do love it but it is also exhausting. I am with kids about 21 hours a day, (24 if I'm on hill duty). Luckily though counsellors have our own space on camp to relax for the small amount of time we are without children. The main place is the counsellor room which is a big room filled with sofas. There's also a TV in there so we can watch films but that's only been done twice, more often people just chill and chat there. We also have the technology room but that's just a small room where we can get on our phones or computer devices. Lanakila hosts all Aloha counsellors most nights with their location 'Up the hill' where counsellors can walk to (about a mile to the camp and 5/10 minutes walk up the hill) to chill around a bonfire at night. We do also have our special events for example cereal night. Last night was Midi fest. This was a party hosted by the midi counsellors (trainee counsellors aged 17). There was an 80's themes and everyone dressed up and we got unlimited mocktails for $1. This was on camp so we probably kept the kids awake a few extra hours as we sang along with 80's hits (of which there are so many) but I think we deserved it.

80's themed midi fest

Today it was straight back to work though with the campers and we had a usual morning with breakfast, squad and assembly before the days activities. Arts and crafts was a little quiet today so I spent first period reading a book aloud to another counsellor and a few campers. Then I helped in woodworking a got to stain my clock, whilst simultaneously staining half my t-shirt the lovely shade of red mahogany I had choosen. Then in the afternoon I wasn't needed to lead anything again so worked in pottery, cutting a foot into my bowl and messing around on the wheel with a camper, getting completely covered in clay! There's a song at camp about how green shorts never get dirty and whilst the grass stains won't show, clay and red mahogany stain definitely will.

All in a day's work.

Cowboys and cereal and flaming stumps.

Saturday was camps first 'unit special' of the summer. This is where a unit works to put on an evening event with a theme and activities in keeping with their chosen theme. Pines was this week and the theme was Cowboys and Cowgirls. The whole camp dressed up in their flannel and bandanas and spoke in a southern accent all evening (mine was horrific at the start and whilst it is still awful it has improved greatly considering  it started). The activities were lots of fun, the most popular one was the mattress surfing slip  and slide that went down the hill. There were loads of other fun things too and we had a great evening as an entire camp.
The fun continued after taps though with a cereal and PJ night at Lanakila for counsellors. I got to try a great selection of American cereals for the first time (the selection at camp is very generic that I have at home too). The reeses cereal was amazing as well as the fruit loops. After we munched on cereal we headed 'Up the hill' which is the social spot for counsellors of all Aloha camps to hang out. Myself and a few other counsellors from Aloha were taught how to play 'Stump' which later progressed to 'Flaming stump'. It's basically a game were to take turns to throw a hammer, if you catch it you can whack another person's nail into the stump. The aim is for your nail to be the last one not in the stump. Flaming stump is the same as before but with the stump on fire.....Don't worry mum, as you can tell I'm being sensible and responsible here... haha, it's not as bad as it sounds. After losing miserably to the guys we headed down the hill and chilled on the roof for a bit of star gazing then headed back for sleep as personally I was exhausted. So much has happened this week and looking at my schedule its not the busiest week by far!! Also by my calculations the next proper down time I have at hone is Christmas as I go straight into uni work when I get home in September!! I need another day off!!

Storms, parades and cults.

The weather is amazing. I came over expecting it to be 1 or 2 degrees warmer than England but it's much wamer then that! It was quite humid too at the start of the week and everyone knew a storm would be coming to rectify that and boy did it hit hard! Thursday night the whole camp was in the Hale for 'Aloha entertains' a talent show for the girls and it started raining and it got heavier and heavier with thunder   lightning too until even with the girls using microphones they could not be heard! The show was paused and we all joined in with camp songs with the intention of waiting it out. Eventually the power went and we were singing in the dark for a half hour or so untill the storm let up enough for us to go to bed but the storm had taken out all electricity and water for the night.
The next morning our electricity and water was back and we had nice weather again which was just as well because it was the 4th of July! The day started off with waffles for breakfast with everyone dressed in red, white and blue. Afterwards the camp spilt up according to age group; I was with the group who walked to Fairlee to watch the parade meaning I got to chill and eat the candy thrown to us as the parade passed. In the afternoon we headed to Lanakila, the boys camp, for a carnival which had loads of fun stalls and the all ready hyped up kids got more candy. After dinner there were fireworks and a huge (huge meaning 2 stories high) bonfire. The lighting of which wad intense! It's tradition for the bridges (the counsellors in training at Lanakila) to light it. They walked down the road with big torches already lit whilst music was pumping and everyone was chanting... I may be part of a cult.... It was great fun though and the counsellors got to head back after the campers went to bed and were offered a bbq which was delicous. And to think for the last 18 years of my life the 4th of July was just another ordinary day!

Freedom!

Today is my day off! My first day off since the campers arrived last wednesday and if you saw me and Shel (the counsellor I'm hanging out with today) you would think we just got out of prison! Its not coz we don't love camp, we do! Its just the freedom to eat when we want, do what we like and not have children constantly with you.
We got a lift into Hanover and got breakfast at a really nice little cafe called 'Market Place' and I had french toast with a side of sausage and freshly squeezed orange juice, delicious! And I didn't even have to pour water for 9 kids before I could have some myself!

Breakfast

We then browsed a couple of really cute shops before stopping at the library for a much needed fix of internet because whilst we do have WiFi at camp we can only use it after taps and only in the tech room which is small and doesn't have sofas like the counsellor room does. Also there are she nights when you're on hill duty or have meetings and therefore can't get to it so it's nice coz it gives me a chance to update this blog as well as trig to catch my family and friends for a quick conversation or send them an email to let them know i'm still alive (something my brothers expect to change soon at the end of a gun).

We then got on a bus for the 30minute ride to Wal-Mart (which was completely free of charge Alfie!) where we spent about an hour and 40 minutes browsing. We got some things of necessity like bug spray and batteries as well as some fun things for the 4th of July and of course a couple of bits of American candy. We then got back on the FREE bus back to Hanover.

Back in Hanover we got a drink and some potato fries in a place called Molly's on main st then went to the cinema to see "The fault in our stars". We cried so much! No spoilers but because I had read the book I knew what was coming and was balling within the first few minutes!! We left the cinema with tears streaming down our faces, it was not a great look. But the guy who played Augustus was so cute!

Finally we headed to the Pine restaurant at Hanover inn for dinner and it was delicious!! We shared two starters, octopus and gnocchi both of which were delicious and then for my main I had perhaps the tastiest burger of my life! I wasn't able to finish it though so the rest is coming back to camp for a late evening snack. Drinks wise I was unable to indulge in a cocktail as they have their silly legal drinking age of 21 but instead the bartender created me a unique cocktail based on what I was in the mood for. We called it 'the lauren' (but it must be said in a French accent).

It was kind of a day of food but we had loads of fun and got lots of stuff done. I'm already looking forward to my next day off! Again, not because I hate camp but because it fun to explore a bit, after all I am half way across the world, I would like to explore whats here a bit.

The most beautiful place.

I've been at camp now just over 2 weeks and WOW. It is beautiful! Its hard to describe but the grass is green, the lake is blue and the stars are bright. The weather has been beautiful (with the exception of opening day when it poured down…typical). The camp has beautiful flowers planted around the main house and hale (where we have assemblies) and the lake is always a lovely color of blue with the green hills surrounding it. I love lying in my tent at night as I can look out the side and see all the stars which are so clear thanks to the minimal light pollution and camp fires are simply beautiful on the lakefront.

The view

On saturday night we had 'initiation' for all the new campers and counsellors. They were all blindfolded (this includes myself) and led to a secret but very special location called Father Gulicks ravine. Evelyn, one of the menehune, was in charge of guiding me along with the help of another counsellor and she did such a wonderful job. I didn't fall or even trip once and when we arrived at the location I thought we were around the art barn (a short walk from where we had started). Where as in actual fact father G's ravine is at the top of the hill tucked away behind one of the units! It was the most beautiful spot I've ever seen, there were log benches facing a small river then across the river was a camp fire which was lit and surrounded with candles. I couldn't believe not only because of the beauty but I am still trying to work out how a 7 year old managed to guide me up the hill blindfolded without me realizing!