The Group

Alright, blogdience, it has come to my attention (by no one but myself, naturally), that I have been M.I.A for the past two weeks. To be quite honest, I’ve been really getting into writing privately again, which has been a release, even though it has forced me to lurker status on Google Reader. I suppose, like any good student, I should own up to this extended absence as quickly as I possibly can without boring you all with my adventures.

When we last left our hero, she was surviving the worst hangover of her life.

I prepared myself to move into one of the east campus dorms at Shepherd for a few weeks. By east campus, I mean non air conditioned. By non-air conditioned, I definitely mean I slept for the past two weeks in as little as I could deem appropriate with fans poised at me and managed to be okay with it. Why? Because the past two weeks were amazing and I would trade anything in the world to be able to bottle them up and carry them around with me.

Junior High Washington Gateway Academy is the single best experience I have had in probably about a year. I’ve had some amazing experiences in the past year, too, so I’m seriously saying a lot when I say that. The first week of training, I met/got to know better 10 wonderful people who were my co-counselors for the time there. In an attempt to conquer my fear I actually participated with said 10 people in the zipline at the ropes course we went to. I learned a lot about myself, about my leadership qualities, and I laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

When the campers got there, the lessons kept creeping into my head when I least expected them. They made me laugh. They made me forget about the week before. They helped me realize that maybe I am finally on the right path. I belong with them. Mentoring them, teaching them. Never again will I consider a stuffy job spending all day with people my own age. I am on the right path and those kids really helped me to realize it. I went to camp as a kid. I was a staff trainee. Even knowing all of this – I never thought I would get so close with these kids after a week. They were so open and so in the moment. They were loud and sort of obnoxious at times – but they were there and totally and completely in the moment. It was incredible.

Just like that, the two weeks were over. Now, it’s back to the silence and reality of post-break-up land that isn’t completely healed yet. Which is fine, I guess. All things in good time, right?