Ginnie Springs

It really was heartbreaking to leave Panama City beach. I definitely want to return one day, maybe with my mum and sister, they would adore it!

We had about a four and a half hour drive down to Ginnie springs but changed back time zones so lost another hour. We had lunch on route and then didn't arrive until late afternoon. We set up camp for the last time this trip and headed to the water. Ginnie Springs is known for tubing so that's what we were gonna do but unfortunately by the time we got down there we only had an hour which wasn't enough time to do the whole run so we decided to just go for a swim instead. It was quite weird to swim as its fairly deep and you are just taken along by the current but it was great to cool off in the water.

Back at camp we made a campfire and a bbq and started cooking dinner which was a bbq, peppers with dip (Liz is intent on getting everyone their veggies) and roasted asparagus with honey. It was good. Unfortunately half way through the cooking the lightening which had been quietly happening for a while was joined by thunder and rain. We got soaked! We were holding tarps up over the food and lights half hoping it would pass pretty swiftly but when it didn't a few of us put up our big tent over the bench and our food to keep us out of the rain but by the time we'd done it we were sodden!! It could definitely have been much worse considering it's hurricane season so all in all we got off lightly!!

DIY shelter.

Panama city beach

Today I woke up to the best view of the the beach and wasted no time getting ready grabbing a croissant for breakfast and getting down to the beach! The beach just continued as far as you could see in either direction. The sun was shining, the water was a perfect temperature and we were ready to just relax in the sun.

What a view!

In the afternoon we all decided to go on a 3 and 1/2 hour boat ride that took us the gulf of Mexico and let us go snorkelling. It was so much fun. It wasn't too hot with the ocean breeze so we could relax in the sun on the ride out. Snorkelling was great fun. We were able to jump in from the boat and saw loads of cool fish, hermit crabs and sand dollars. Some of the group even saw some little stingrays! Emily even got in and went snorkelling which we were really proud of her for as she doesn't know how to swim and has never been in the ocean higher then her ankles but today she got on a life jacket and went for it!

On the way back most of us were tired and very relaxed and were beginning to fall asleep when suddenly one of the crew and Tom soaked with ice cold water using this supermarket pump but it felt more like we'd had a whole bucket dumped on us! We then had a shell call competition to see who could make to loudest and longest call in a shell (Tom won), hula hooping, the macarena and we even spotted a couple of dolphins just before we docked!!

We went to a place called "Dicks last resort" for dinner. It's famous for the terrible service by the rude and crude waiters. It was so much fun but definitely only suited to people who can take a joke. It wasn't a tidy place and there was a lot of shouting but we were laughing the whole time by the no nonsense sarcastic waiters. They also make hats for everyone with a line about you. I got off VERY lightly but they were all funny and we had a good laugh about them. The service and food was actually really good though and I would love to go again for the comedic service. Before heading back to the hotel we stopped at a little fun fair and I went on the fastest twizzler ride I've ever gone on!!

My hat from "Dicks"

From gators to the beach!

It was sad to say goodbye to New Orleans. It was a great place and so nice to be in a hotel but it didn't take long to get over it and find a new love as we headed to Panama city where we would be by the beach and in another hotel (after deciding to take money out the food kitty to fund it).

On the way out of New Orleans we went to Honey island for a swamp tour. This was another highlight of the trip. Before we even got in the boat we saw some huge alligators these guys had just caught and shot except one wasn't quite dead yet and flipped around snapping at the guy. It was terrifying. Nevertheless we then hopped into the boat to go out to the gator infested swamp. It was reassuring to hear though that no one had ever actually does from a gator attack in Louisiana, a fair few limbs have been disposed of though. The gators were a good size and they got very close to the boat. Our guide Brian fed them so they jumped clean out the water. It was terrifying but extremely cool. We also saw turtles handsome cool dragonflies.

The drive to Panama city was a long one. It was a 5 hour drive but it felt longer after the swamp tour. I had a really great sleep and read my book most of the way. We eventually arrived at 8pm and it was already dark. The hotel is unbelievably nice!! Especially considering it's only $25 a night and the money was just taken out of what we'd already given to the food kitty. Our room is on the 6th floor and has a beach view! The pool is great and there's a hot tub, both of which we tested as soon as we got here. We also decided to run into the sea as we are literally are literally door to door with the beach! It was great, I literally can't describe how amazing it is! I can't wait for tomorrow!

New Orleans. Food, market and culture.

I got the longest lie in I've had in 3 months today!! My alarm woke me up at 9am, I got breakfast then chilled at the pool for an hour or so. It was great! It was only 31 degrees today, so much cooler then it has been. The perfect temperature.We went for brunch together at about noon to a place called "The ruby slipper". I had a banana and raisin french toast type thing with bacon and sausage. It was amazing. I am really loving New Orleans food!

We then split up and went to do our own thing around town. A bunch of us headed to the French market and looked around the various stalls and we met quite a character at one who was 'reading' people's faces. We then headed towards the river passing a jazz band playing on the way. The Mississippi river was cool but to be honest a rivers a river. We went to Jackson Square and saw some beautiful architecture and there was more jazz music. I then got my first ever tarot card reading from a famous voodoo tarot card reader. It was a bit of fun and quite interesting.

Mississippi river

Jackson Square

We headed back to the hotel and I went swimming on the pool then did some laundry and ordered a pizza in for dinner with Laura and Lucy whilst the rest of the group went on a ghost tour. It was so nice to chill. I even get an early night!

New Orleans A.K.A beds and air con!!

Today was our longest journey of the trip with a 7 hour journey down to New Orleans! But we're all pretty excited because New Orleans means 2 nights in a hotel which means air con!! It has been so hot at nights! Even with no covers and a vest top, it's still too hot!! The first half of the trip flew by mostly because we were all asleep for at least 2 hours (most people even longer) of it and I've got to say it was probably one of the best sleeps I've ever had in a van/car.

Travelling can really take it out if you..

We took a few stops and then arrived in New Orleans a little after 4pm. We took some time to chill which was great! I took some time to have a swim, have a shower and get ready. The hotel is amazing! It's 2 people to a room and we've all got double beds! Such luxury!! I'm sharing  room with Helen and our room is in a great location, steps from the pool on the ground floor!!

Pretty excited about the room!

View from our room!

We headed out to the town and had a very brief look around on our way to our restaurant for dinner. We ate at Oceana which I can only imagine is THE best restaurant in New Orleans. I had gator fir a starter. That's right I ate alligator and it was a delicious! My main was called "Taste of New Orleans" it had some fish things, sausage, jambalaya and rice, again it was delicous. I was stuffed by the end but Liz highly recommended the Banana fosters ice cream pie for dessert so me and her split it. It was worth it. It was covered on fruit and I can't even describe how amazing the meal was but I would come back to New Orleans for that meal alone!! Once we were back at the hotel I took a bit of a dip with Lucy and Gemma before heading to bed for the night. It's crazy how much difference a hotel makes compared to a campsite!

Memphis. Home of the King.

It wasn't as early a start today and once we were up we had a 3 hour drive to Memphis. There's a lot of driving to do and we've covering a lot of miles. This is a very fast paced trip and we're constantly on the go so there's not much time to chill by the pool but it's great because we get to do so much and I have time to chill on the beach in Miami after the trek.

3 hour drive? Bring it on!!

We arrived in Memphis at around 3 and had lunch then walked across the parking lot to Graceland, home of the king! We got tickets to get a tour and see all his cars, planes and more! The house was awesome and the decor was very one of a kind. We saw his grave which is in the meditation garden behind the house. It wasn't his original gravesite but his father decided to move both him and his mother there a few years after Elvis passed away. We also saw all his awards, records and jumpsuits (there are loads of them all!).

We saw a big selection of Elvis' cars all of which are very stylish. I loved the Cadillac's in particular. We then saw 2 of his planes. The most impressive was the Lisa Marie, named after his daughter and nicknamed Houndog 1. The plane was amazing. There was a living room, conference room/dining room, another lounge area and Elvis' bedroom. There was also 2 bathroom on board the sinks of which were covered in flakes of gold!

Once we got back to camp we cooked dinner. We did a classic bangers and mash meal. It was good to have a classic English meal and I believe it was the first time Liz ever had it!  It took a while to cook so we weren't done until 9pm but then Liz had a surprise for us and a pink limousine rolled up to take us down down the road for dessert! The dessert was good! I had a chocolate fudge brownie sundae and it was pretty big but was only $5!

Nashville y'all.

It was a slow morning after a late night so we decided to get breakfast at Maccy D's on the way to Nashville. It was a shorter drive today, it took about 3 hours and we only took 2 stops so arrived just before 1:30pm, however thanks to a change in time zones whilst driving we gained an hour back. It was 32 degrees today so once we'd unpacked and had lunch we took a dip in the swimming pool. It was the best temperature, nice and cool, without being too cold! I then had a shower and felt great. Unfortunately after 10 minutes I was back to feeling hot and sticky!

We headed into town at 4pm and took some time to wonder around the shops and look at the amazing selection of cowboy boots and hats on sale ($300+ for a pair of boots) and we dropped into a few bars to hear some good old country music. We ate dinner at the Wildhorse Saloon and got line dancing lessons there. Unfortunately this was quiet tricky for me as I'm not able to put any weight on most of one foot but I gave it a go anyway. There was then a band playing who were good and dis some good songs (country of course). The food was good but the drinks outshined the food for the sole reason you could pay a little extra and get it served in a glass cowboy boot you could then keep. I headed back to camp quite early so I could charge devices and then get an early night. When I got back at 8:30pm it was still 27 degrees and the coolest it's supposed to get all night is 22 degrees!!

Thank you very much

White water rafting!

It was such an early start today but it was worth it as today was the day we went White water rafting on the Ocoee river! We had to be all packed up ready to load the trailer at 6am then had breakfast packed up were gone by 7am. It was a 5 hour drive to our campsite which was at the place we went white water rafting. It wasn't the most plush campsite compared to the ones we've had the last few days but the weather was boiling!

White water rafting was amazing! The Ocoee river is the most popular place for white water rafting in the world and its a grade 4 out of 6 (with 6 being you will die here). It was a 5 mile stretch and we were in the water for an hour and a half! I didn't fall out the boat (though I did fall into it a few times). There was a half way mark were you could jump out and swim/float down the river a bit which was really fun. I would definitely do it again! We got some great photos we all pitched in for so it only cost us $6 each for them all!

Back at camp we were starving so the group cooking started dinner straight away whilst some others went out to the shop getting a surprise for Emily as it was her birthday so we decided to have a bit of a party. We had dinner and decorated our area with some balloons and had a cake for her. We then  hung out and was able to chat and play games with the other 2 groups who were also doing treks and staying there. It was a great night and so much fun the only down side is that I accidentally stepped on one of the nails used for the tent and it hurt so bad. I now have a nasty bruise right on the bottom of my foot which makes it a bit tricky to walk normally.

Love these guys!!

1 day, 14 people, 410miles, 3 trolleys of food and 2 lost phones.

5:45am and we are up and away! Breakfast and packing up all our tents and putting everything in the trailer Tetris style and we are off! It's a day of travelling as we head further south. We stopped for groceries along the way to restock. We take it in turns to cook dinner and you can choose what you cook. The people who aren't getting dinner will restock the breakfast and lunch foods, that was my group as we cooked yesterday so won't be cooking again for another few days. It's quite bizarre shopping for 14 people for 3 days. It's A LOT of food!

Once we'd finished the shop and put all the food into our boxes and coolers and reloaded the trailer we had a quick look in a goodwill then set off once again. The next stop we made was a flea market we passed and decided to have a browse through. It was really cool and there was so much stuff! If I didn't have luggage limits to worry about I would probably have left a few bucks shorter. We then drove a short while to a rest stop to have lunch. This involved unloading our lunch box and cooler and using paper plates to make wraps or sandwiches and cereal bars and salad. There was a bit of drama as we left as one of the guys had misplaced his phones. After a long while of searching it turned out they were on the bonnet of the van the whole time!

We arrived at the camp site around half four and was told a storm would be passing through in 20 minutes so we unpacked the trailer and set up our tents plus a big one over our food area, finishing moments before the first few drops started coming down. It was a fast passing storm but with some rather spectacular thunder and lightning. We git a bit of free time whilst the people on cooking did dinner so we headed to the "family fun centre" and watched Tom and Marezk battle it out in pool, air hockey and basketball. Dinner was chilli and my group was on clean up so we had to head to the main house to do dishes which was surprisingly fun. We got back and had smores around the campfire and introduced Emily and Marezk to their first ever smore (how they've cone this without one I have no idea). I then had a shower and got an early night as it was an even earlier start the next day with the alarm set for 5:15am!

Museums and Baseball

Thursday morning we got up at 7:30am, showered and all had breakfast which is a great selection of fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, cereals, bagels and juice brought with the money we all put in to buy meals for the group. We then headed into the city for a free day to explore a bit more of the city. Ashlea, Helen, Paul and myself decided to stick with the free stuff. Our first stop was of course The White House. It was really cool to see but it was a bit of an anti climax as it wasn't as big as I expected. I think I always thought The White House and the capitol building were much closer together. Even so it was cool to see such an iconic building and we sported snipers on the roof guarding the place. Outside there was a man protesting something or other about the president. He had a poem wrote over his chest and was simply standing quietly with his middle finger up facing The White House.

Next stop was the American History museum. We spent such a long time on the ground floor looking at the history of transport in the country that by the time we were done we were to hungry to continue up to the next floor. We ate our packed lunch in the shade on a bench in a small park and fed the birds and squirrels. Next stop was the Natural History Museum which we really enjoyed there were some great exhibitions especially the bugs and dinosaurs! Last stop on the museum run was the Air and Space museum, another cool museum. The highlight in this one was definitely the space section. We saw space suits and rockets and footage of launches. We were chuffed we had fit in so much but we didn't actually finish any of the museum's and just focused on the parts we were really interested in.

Natural History Museum

At 3:30 most of us met up and headed to our first ever baseball game! The game was amazing! We were supporting the Washington Nationals who were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks. Liz had brought us face paint so we were able to really get into the spirit and we learnt the chants too. We got some amazing food there, an integral part of any baseball experience. Our seats were great and the atmosphere of the whole stadium was phenomenal! The nationals won and most of us decided we would keep the Nationals as our team. Liz even got a photo of us pitch side after the game (we may have used the international card). We then got certificates for our first ever baseball game. It rascal much fun and a great way to spend our last evening in Washington DC.

Go Nats!

New Jersey to Washington DC

Wednesday morning I woke up at 5am, took the subway into Manhattan and got a cab to Newark Hotel in New Jersey to meet my group for my trek. We sorted out a few bits of paperwork and loaded the van (which was an intense game of Tetris with all our suitcases, food and camping equiptment). We then set off for our two weeks of adventures.

Everyone in the group is really great. There's 13 of us and Liz, our leader, in a mini van with a trailer on the back. I sat in the back with two girls Helen and Ashlea and we did get the most space as we have the extra seat. Our first stop was Philadelphia where we saw the famous Rocky steps then went for a Philly Cheesesteak and Fro-yo. Philadelphia was nice, it was a brief stop but it was good to get out of the van and see a bit of the area.

Philadelphia

The drive from Philly down to Washington was about 3 hours but we were able to talk, listen to music and catch up on sleep from our early morning. We arrived at our campsite in Washington at about 5pm but it was raining meaning we had to put up our tents in the rain! We did it though, it's two people per tent however me, Helen and Ashlea decided we'd all share one tent as it was pretty and roomy so no one would be alone and it would be more fun, plus we'd be warmer. Turns out nights are warm enough anyway. 

First tent pitched!!

Once we'd sorted camp we decided to go pick up pizza for dinner as cooking in the rain didn't sound all that appealing. We ate it all together sat in front of the Lincoln memorial looking out towards the Washington memorial. It was quite a view to have whilst eating dinner. After dinner we went around and saw some of the memorials which look stunning lit up at night (by this time it's past 10pm). The WW2 memorial was particularly amazing but the landscape view of a few at once was also amazing! It was past midnight when we eventually got back to camp and we were exhausted! It had been a 20hour day and we'd travelled through 5 states!!

Poozy last couple of days in New York.

On Monday I had a relaxed day. Poozy as they would call it at camp. I spent some time in central park and wondered around the city a bit. I went to dinner at a restaurant called Junior's which is famished for its cheesecake. Unfortunately I dispatcher that far as the main I ordered ending up being enormous even by America's standards!

In the evening I went to see Phantom of the Opera on broadway. It was amazing! The cheap $27 tickets were sold out so I had to get a $67 seat and ended up getting the last one too! It meant the seat was quite far back and was at the far side but the view wasn't at all obstructed. In fact, if you excuse my theatre review, I thought it added to theatricality as the lighting was very angular so to have a similar perspective of the show added to the drama. The thing I didn't like about Broadway though was how busy it was. The theatre was no bigger then a west end theatre and yet it felt way more crowded, especially with security checking everyone's bags on the way in.

I spent my last day with Sydne, we headed into Manhattan to go to a couple of shops but neither of us brought anything (but I did get to do my nails for free in a make up shop). We then went to the 9/11 memorial site. We wanted to go into the museum but it was sold out. I didn't realise museums COULD sell out! Even so it was nice and very touching to see the memorial. We also saw a number of white roses in some of the names, we found out they were placed in the name on the birthday date of that person.

We then went back to Sydne's, had dinner and snacks and watched TV and Clueless and went to bed really late considering I was getting up at 5am! But it was nice to be able to chill with Sydne for my last night in New York.

New York

Sunday was the day I decided to tackle the city tourist attractions full full steam ahead. My alarm woke me up at quarter to 8 and I got ready and headed into Manhattan. I got a New York City pass for $85 which includes a whole load of awesome attractions around the city. My first stop was the Empire State Building. There wasn't much of a line and it went much faster then I expected, the perks of doing tourist stuff on a Sunday I guess. I also found out some really interesting facts about the building including that the amount of electricity used in the building in 1 hour is enough to power a lightbulb for over 100 years!! The view from the top of the top of the building (or the 86th floor at least) was phenomenal! My initial reaction when I first saw it was simply WHOOAA. I decided it was my new favorite place in the world.

New York City Skyline.

My next stop was an On Location tour through Central Park to see where loads of movies have been filmed and there are a lot as it is the most filmed location in the world! I found out loads of facts again about not only the films but about the park itself. During the tour I even saw a skateboarding dog! I then decided that Central park might be joint with the top of the Empire State Building in my favorite places in the world.

I then headed to The Rockafella Building which was eerily quiet. I even got an elevator ride to the top all to myself as there was none else there! The ride up was crazy! The roof is clear so you can see into the elevator shaft as you shoot upwards super fast with these lights flashing! The view from the top was just as stunning as The Empire State Building except this time I got a view of Central Park and was able to see The Empire State Building from a similar level. I might therefore go as far to say as I Preferred it to The Empire State Building. I was also able to get Wifi at the top! Technology is pretty awesome.

Stunning view!

I then went to the Times Square Art of Lego exhibit which was cool. There were some amazing sculptures especially. I then went on a harbor lights cruise as the sun set. It went around half the island and I saw loads of landmarks including some of the fancy buildings from afar and of course the Statue of Liberty. The sunset was beautiful and it was great to be able to see the city all lit up.

From Brooklyn to Coney Island

The bus journey into the city was brutal! The internet wasn't working on the bus and then the bus arrived an hour and a half late!! i mean sure theres traffic and all but an hour and a half!! RIDICULOUS!! Sydne and her mum met me at the bus station and we headed back to theres stopping for dinner on the way. Friday night we watched some movies and took out Sydne's braids. It was so refreshing to be able to chill and gave me a chance to research a few things for my travels.

On Saturday I woke up at half seven (obviously still on camp time) but after a while ended up falling back asleep until 11am!! The bed I'm in now is every bit as comfortable as the one in Northampton! Once I eventually got up and ready me and Sydne got on the train to head into downtown Manhattan. On the train a kid broke out into a rap with a mic and little handheld boombox raising money for his career as a rapper, he was 13. In downtown we went to Chipotle, a Mexican restaurant that everyone raves about! It's kinds of like a Nando's equivalent but not nearly as good in my opinion (but I guess I'm biased). I then got back on the train, this time alone to head to Coney Island for some touristy stuff. Once again on the train I witnessed an impromptu performance, this one was in the form of dance but really they were bouncing, twisting and doing all kinds of other tricks using the bars on the train. It was pretty impressive.

Coney Island was awesome and much bigger then I expected. I walked along the Boardwalk and saw a bunch of impressive sand sculptures before getting a card with credits on to go on some of the rides. My first stop was of course The Cyclone which was opened in 1927 and is the most well known ride at the park. It was pretty amazing and also quite terrifying as it was quite a bumpy ride. I also went on Thunderbolt which is one of the newest rides at the park. It begins with a vertical climb up before being released to speed practically vertically down. This really was a thrill ride! I rode on some other rides to before meeting back up with Sydne and her friends and we hung out on the beach before heading back. By the time we got back it was quite late and by the time we actually got to going to bed it was even later and we were exhausted. Yet I made sure I had my alarm set for the morning so I could start on the tourist attractions of New York City.

Northampton, Massachusetts.

First stop on my travels of America is Massachusetts with a friend who is kind enough to put me up for the night. On the drive down we stopped at the Whippi dip which is actually only down the road from camp but we hadn't had lunch so thought we'd get a bite there and whilst there we bumped into a whole bunch of other counselors who had also just left or were stating for family camp but dropped by fir some ice cream. Further down the road we stopped at Hidden Springs Maple and I got to sample the four types of maple syrup (Something you have to do before you leave Vermont). I decided my favourite was Grade A medium but the Vermont fancy would be delicious on some ice cream or yogurt.

We got to Northampton at 7pm and I realised it was the first time I had been in an actual house for 2 months!! The spare room was amazing! It was a double bed with really soft blankets! We did some laundry and ordered some Thai take out and also picked up a slice of chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert and ate that whilst watching a TV show called Firefly. It was actually a really cool show basically about space cowboys (Dad, Alfie, Patrick I think you would enjoy it). After that we went to bed, it was late, I was tired and I wanted to sleep in the super awesome bed.

I was pretty excited about the bed.

In the morning I got a nice shower, did a second load of laundry and then went out for breakfast before I had to catch my bus. We had breakfast at a place called Sylvesters, it was really good. We both got hot chocolates, ISB's was a peanut butter one mine was called the twilight zone and had white chocolate in it. They were huge, delicious and sickly. Breakfast or rather brunch by the time we ate it was chocolate chip pancakes with real maple syrup. YUM. Too much to eat in one go though so I took the left overs for a snack for the journey to NYC.

Lessons I've learnt at camp.

So today was leaving day at Camp Aloha for the counselors. All the campers left yesterday and the counselors had a day of cleaning to do. But as I leave camp and am let lose into America for a month I can look back at my time at Aloha and remember the important lessons I learnt there...

1. Showering isn't important, every few days is plenty. Swimming in the lake counts as a shower. And shaving? Please, hairy legs is totally camp chic. In fact you can gain some respect by going a good amount without showering. The record at camp is a girl who went the entire summer (7 weeks) without showering! She did go swimming most days though.

2. Snacks will improve any event. Rolls do not count as snacks, but if you are disappointed so severely one week the next it will be made up with pizza! Also snacks should really be spelt with an x on the end.

3. Camp counsellors are the best at creating organised mayhem. The kids may think it's anarchy camp but actually it's incredibly organised and controlled deviations from the every day schedule.

4. Rest hour is the most important time of day. Do not mess with my rest hour!

5. Its OK to sing out of tune about anything you choose in the dining hall...Or in the Hale. Or in the unit. Or anywhere really.

6. Mosquitos WILL find the most inconvenient place to bite you.

7. Flashlights are one of the most important pieces of equipment! Walking up the hill in pitch black at 1am with no light is hard as well as terrifying!

8. Avoid rolling down your tent flaps at all costs. Keep your bed dry by moving it to the middle of the tent, lying a poncho over it or hanging towels from the sides of your tent. They are all much easier and require significantly less effort then rolling up tent flaps the next morning!

9. It doesn't matter a smidge what you're wearing at any given time. Whether that's silly face paint, pyjamas at all staff meetings or even a towel at an evening jinx meeting! However I did just go into town to pick up a take out in cow print pyjamas bottoms and its not quite widely accepted outside of camp..

A camp Aloha birthday.

Today I celebrated my 20th birthday. It was weird not celebrating it at home with my family and it makes me miss them more then ever! However all was not lost. The day was still a lot of fun. We had lazy breakfast on the field then I had to go to the art barn for an hour which was stressful but I'll gloss over that. Then there was usual Sunday service and much except everyone sang happy birthday to me at lunch. During rest hour I opened the couple of birthday cards I'd received in the post and a book from my dad. 

Tent family time was the highlight of my day though! Alexis (the clubbers attached to my tent) spent her rest hour making a birthday cake for me and all my campers made me a card. We then hiked to this place called "And hatters" which is a kinda creepy old shack in the woods and they surprised me with the cake. They'd even brought icing so we could decorate it and candles so I could make a birthday wish!

After tent family time we hiked up to Winships where the whole camp had dinner and we exchanged puzzle pieces. Puzzle pieces is an awesome tradition here! Every year on the last week of camp you get the name of someone in your unit and a piece of wood. You then decorate that piece of wood for the person you got then you exchange then all and all the pieces in your unit fit together like a puzzle. It's stressful for an art barn counsellors as everyone's rushing to make them in a week but it was amazing seeing them all finished and come together!

The view from Winships as we made our puzzle.

The beginning of the end...

Camp is drawing to a close. This means they're are great events and special things happening that you kind of don't really want to happen coz that means saying goodbye comes closer.

On Wednesday night the whole camp went over to Lanakila to have a Kickball tornament. This was loads of fun! It was organised by unit and each unit had a team colour. Crossroads was red. We did really well winning our first game then having an intense championship game which ended in a draw. The team spirit was amazing though and by the end of the night my voice was sore!

The next day something amazing happened! The art barn counsellors were let out! The art barn is one of the only departments that don't really get trips, not even to go down the road to join with Lanakila for an activity period, but on Thursday we organised an art trip to a craft fair that we all wanted to on so we paid for ourselves and closed the art barn for the day. It was great fun. The drive there was long, it was supposed to be an hour and a half drove but the directions took us to the wrong place and suddenly the travel time doubled! I didn't mind though, I got a good sleep in.

We arrived back from the art trip at 5pm and we got changed quick to go to the counsellor picnic which is when every counsellor on camp leaves for the evening and we go for a picnic together (this picnic is actually a hearty steak meal). Back at camp the kids are in charge with only 2 adults supervising! The picnic was great and a couple of counsellors wrote a funny song about a few anecdotes of the summer. Then when we get back the kids have put together a show for us which we see the next night which is a compilation of songs about the different departments at camp.

Saturday i had a tent family dinner with my campers and clubber (a clubbers is one of the oldest campers who are attached to a tent family to start learning how to be a counselor). The dinner was lots of fun, we made Mac and cheese, extra cheesy. Then for dessert we made banana boats, all over an open fire we had built (OK, Alexsis built it mostly). Then we headed over to Lanakila for a dance but I didn't dance until the final song coz there was something so much cooler happening outside! The dance was in the dining  they'd taken all the tables out and had decided to use them to make am Len arena! I'm this arena there were two teams and one big inflatable ball. One team was offense and was trying to hit the other team (defence) with the ball. Simple yet brilliant!!

I can't believe this will all be over on matter of days. It feels like it's been so long that I've been here!

Hanover

So my days off have come to an end and there's only a week left of camp. I spent most of my time off in Hanover and went to a lot of places there so thought I would write a brief review and recommendations in case anyone ever finds themselves passing through.

Lou's.
A must if you are in Hanover! Lou's is a typical American diner/bakery with lots of varieties of pie and unbelievable cake and cupcakes! The milkshake is more just melted ice cream and was a bit heavy for breakfast but the hot chocolate was delicous.

Market table.
This is a bit fancier a place for breakfast and therefore a bit more expensive but the service is excellent as is the food. The French toast was the best I've ever had (granted the only other place I've had it is at camp) but it was delicious. The selection for breakfast at least was a bit more limited but they had the quality making up for the lacking quantity.

Barnes and Noble.
This is a book shop in Hanover which is essentially set out like a maze with various little staircases leading up to little wings within the store. It's cool but does make finding people tough. The book shop itself is great. A good selection (and apparently this is one of their smaller shops!) And it's reasonably priced. I brought an awesome diary from here. The thing that really confused me though was why there was a little make up/ beauty stall and merchandise in the middle of a book store?? Don't worry though, it still had Starbucks too.

Molly's.
Molly's is a good restaurant with a range of foods from burgers to pizzas cooked in their wood fire oven. It's also great value for money including cocktails starting at only $3! The portion sizes are also very American! You will want dessert but will not have room after your first course no matter what that was!

The Nugget Theatre.
Such a cute little cinema! Really comfy and I saw some great films here. The staff were all really friendly and the prices were good. What more do you need from a cinema?

Morano Gelato.
Yum. Really great ice cream in various flavours are swapped around each day. There are classics as well  some more original ones. Plus, in true I can fashion the portions are generous. There's a TV screen to keep and eye on the game and seats inside and out.

Pine Restaurant.
Fancy alert. This place was nice but you've gotta treat yourself every now and again. The food was excellent! I had octopus for a starter and a burger for my main. A burger may not sound but it was hands do

Lemon Tree.
This is a really cute little shop that is great for gifts! It  some awesome jewellery including little silver laces in the shape of different states with a little heart cut out of it. It also has some clothing items, gadgets, toys and of course maple syrup!! This is great to pick up souvenirs or gifts or even for a nice browse.

Rainbow Chapel and Chandeleirs.

The end of camp traditions are beginning. I have very split feelings about this. On the one hand I'm really excited because its new and fun and why wouldn't I want to do cool fun things?! On the other hand it means camp really is starting to come to an end!! Its felt like 3 days since I got here but it's felt like forever at the same time!

Rainbow chapel is a special Sunday service that Lanikila and Aloha get together to be a part of as one community. Sunday morning Aloha walked the mile down the road to Lanikila then up to their special spot where they host Sunday service. There's songs performed by campers, counselors and siblings within counselor staff (of which there's a fair few). There was a talk given by a Lanikila counselor (with the help of a few campers) who spoke about the reality of Love and how it is really shown in the real world (and at camp). Finally we did more singing as a whole camp community. It was really nice and I enjoyed it and was quite the proud counselor as I watched one of my campers perform in the kanaka-pella (the choir).

220 people walking down the road in pairs is quite a sight.

Once Sunday service had finished we walked back to camp for lunch, extended rest hour then tent family time!! This week my tent family decided to get a bit creative! We had a box lying around and decided to make it into a chandelier (don't ask me how this decision was made) so we went to the art barn, sketched out designs and started cutting out. It's not quite finished yet but once it we're going to hang it from out tent celling and put our torches (sorry, flashlights) in there for a bit of classy mood lighting.