September 25, 2018 (Day 5, Vermont Session at Tamarack Farm)
Written by camper Lorena
On my fifth day of camp I woke up feeling rested and happy, even though last night was the latest I stayed up so far in camp and was the first night that I stayed up and talked to people in the freezing cold weather. Even though my toes were numb when we finally decided to go in, I felt no regret, I was happy to have made more connections with people.
I woke up to a blanket of fog covering everything outside and drizzling. As I got ready for the day the fog quickly dissipated but the rain stayed and was a constant throughout the day. I feel the kind of gross that can only be cured by a shower but the last time I showered the experience was awful, with freezing cold water that was hot for one good minute and never again. But rain or cold water I was determined to be clean. However, I woke up too late and procrastinated too much to take one before breakfast. So downstairs I went, feeling mucky and feeling that way for longer than I intended.
Breakfast was like a quiche but it didn’t have crust. It made me miss my mom because my mom makes a really good quiche. But I would just like to thank all the kitchen staff for feeding everyone every day, y’all are the real MVP’s! After breakfast was check in and then our advisee groups. In advisee we check in with how we’re feeling and what are the highlights of camp so far. I like this time a lot but I always forget something really important that I saved to say for that exact time and only remember when I’m done and someone else is talking. After that we finished our game of hot seat and hid Christian’s crates as a prank. It was a good time.
The rain was still coming down and the cold went to the bones. Realization was settling in that maybe I wouldn’t have to teach my dance workshop, which I was super nervous and anxious about. My workshop is supposed to be outside but campers are rarely going to the outside workshops with the rain and cold. Although almost every one shows up for the partner dancing Project in the open Dance Barn, they leave as it goes on because of the cold. I enjoy partner dancing immensely. The Project was three days long and this was the last day. I’m sad it’s over but super happy it happened. I can’t wait to go home and teach everyone what I learned.
After projects was a lunch of quesadillas. They were the weirdest quesadillas I’ve ever had: the cheese was in there and was nice and melty but along with the cheese was mashed sweet potatoes. I don’t like sweet potatoes at all and even though the first bite was a total shock, they were still pretty good. At that point, I decided to cancel my workshop since it was still pouring and freezing cold. Not only did I think no one would show up but I didn’t want to be out in the weather either. I’m relieved but decide to try to reschedule it at another time because I know if I just do it I will be so proud of myself.
For Siesta/Quiet Time I was determined to take that shower, even though the showers are outside with no roof and cold water. It was still drizzling but it had gotten warmer. However, I spent most of siesta looking for my soap and asking people if I could borrow some and panicking about not getting my shower. When I finally found my soap, Siesta was almost over and workshops were about to begin. I didn’t have anything I was particularly interested in and even if I was I’d sweated so much I needed that shower. To make a long story short, my shower was amazing, the water was steaming hot the whole time and I was all alone. It was kind of magical and the comfy clothes I put on made it a great experience.
After my shower I walked in on a Flower Crown Workshop. I attempted to make one and failed. After the workshop, I skipped other workshops to play Apples to Apples with a few people. It was hecka fun but would have been even more fun if it was Cards Against Humanity.
I had heard a lot about Seeing Seen; about how intense and emotional it was and how many people cried. Some people really love it, others thought it was overrated or like only one part and not the other. The first part featured everyone in a circle while someone read a statement. If you identify with the statement, you take a step into the circle. I really liked that part a lot. For the second part the group split in two, with one group going into the next room to form two smaller circles. In this part you could go up and share something personal like a story or emotion or something you’re struggling with. To start, the facilitator (Margie), had everyone come up and say their name and state one of two prompts just to set the mood for the space and get the feel of it. She also went through the proper etiquette for the people listening in the circle. Then it began. More people went up than I thought would; some cried and some didn’t and most of the stuff that was shared was relatable. I had decided early on that I would share but I struggled with what I wanted to share and when I wanted to do it. I eventually decided what I wanted to talk about and got up to talk about it. Margie was very kind and comforting throughout my share and, like with everyone who came up, closed by asked me to look around the circle to see all the people listening and to feel their energy. I didn’t cry during any of this even though a cry would have been beneficial for me. I definitely wish I would have cried. After the sharing we went around the circle stating a wish we had for the whole group. Then the groups joined back together and there was a few moments of everyone walking around making eye contact. Hugging was OK but wasn’t really the intention for that part, even though it sometimes felt weird not to hug people. After that we got in a large circle again and a culminator got up to share with the whole camp. Finally, when it was over, everyone went around quietly hugging, consoling each other, and telling each other “I care about you.” The mood was supposed to stay mellow and quiet but didn’t last too long as everyone slowly came out of the mood. Overall my first Seeing Seen was a really nice experience. I like Seeing Seen.
I don’t really remember what happened next except that there was some fantastic carrot cake served as a late-night snack. I also remember almost falling asleep listening to other people talk, which was a clear sign to go to bed. My bunkmates were mostly already asleep when I got to the cabin so I tip-toed to bed. I slept nice and long and content after another day of Not Back To School Camp.