We woke up Monday with butterflies in our stomachs. Our excitement for the first day of camp couldn’t keep us from worrying if the ten of us and our bag of supplies would be enough for the kids. At 8:30 we left for the field and within the first minutes a girl arrived. Sapphire became one of our favorite, most spunky campers. She taught us that by just talking to the kids, and playing simple games like “don’t let the ball touch the ground” could be tons of fun when we were enthusiastic. More kids came, ranging from ages 1 to 22, and our three departments, arts & crafts, games, and sports finally got the chance to put all our planning into action.
The first day was amazing, the only low being that some kids arrived as camp ended and we had to turn them away. We came back the second day more organized, having discussed the importance of proposing games, fighting the urge to just stay with our favorite cuties, and planning how to make our finite art supplies last. More kids came, and we were able to get big games of soccer and drip drip drop going, a volleyball net assembled, and beautiful art made on half sheets of paper (go conserving supplies!).
With each day we’ve become more and more efficient as a day-camp as more and more kids have attended, even coming up with our very own closing ceremony lead by our leaders of the day. This week has been a sweaty, laughter-filled blur. We went to the secluded Brighton beach twice, where we found and opened a coconut, swam in the waves, and even found a perfect sea-weed-free patch of sea to float in. We went to the store, learned to do laundry by hand, played games, and cooked each other amazing dinners. From tortilla de patata, to tacos, local fish, and Turkish meatballs to some comforting Mac & cheese, we’ve eaten like kings and got to enjoy each other’s favorite foods.
Yesterday we finally got a chance to sit down with the local teenagers who had been attending/helping out at camp. We learned each other’s names, and broke the ice with a game of two truths and a lie over some delicious popcorn. Tonight they are coming over for pizza and camp-planning, sadly our dear friend/roommate Alexis (the Cupids granddaughter) left for Florida early this morning. She was an amazingly sweet addition to our group, beach trips, jokes, and late night bonding. She was also a great help bridging the gap between us and the other teenagers and helping us become accustomed to the culture. It’s crazy how close we’ve all been able to become so quickly, as a group and even as a camp as a whole. In addition, we’ve gotten a chance to grow as leaders; this week our LOD’s (leaders of the day) took on more responsibility and the group has been turning to them for the plan of attack and general guidance during camp. We’re truly becoming leaders in action and running a super successful camp the kids love, and it feels amazing. Lots of love, – your Leaders In Action ❤
