Well, I'm halfway through my camp experience for 2006. First session is over and I'm desperately trying to rest up before second session begins in 3 more days. I feel very tired.
Overall, I count the week a success. We had a very challenging cabin full of 15 9-12 year old boys from the inner-city areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. It was a difficult week, though not without its moments of brilliance. I do have to give props to my fellow coyote counselors: Dave, the other Chris, Suzi, Shannon, Emily and our amazing group leader, Justine, and also to the invaluable help from our LIT's Ray and Richard. As a team we were able to successfully prevent our cabin from spiralling hopelessly out of control. So if y'all are reading this, just know that you rock!
So anyway, thats what I've been doing since the last time I wrote. I go back Wednesday to start the whole process over again, but this time with an older group of boys. I'm pretty certain that this will be my last post at least until I get back to Texas. Once camp starts its like you're in a different world and it becomes hard to believe that life exsists outside of the campgrounds.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Leaving and Staying
In a few hours I'll be getting on a plane headed for New York City. After 3 days frugally spent in the city, I'll be boarding a train and heading up to spend the next month at Camp AmeriKids. I have spent 7 of the past 8 summers working at camp, and I'm looking forward to another great year. I think this year might be interesting as several of my favorite camp people are unable to come back this year for various and sundry reasons. That means I'll have to develop new relationships with new people. Developing new relationships with new people is something I both love and hate at the same time, so I go into these kinds of experiences with fear and loathing and anticipation and exhilaration. But no matter how hard or easy or exhausting or whatever camp is every year, it is always an amazing experience and I always come away feeling like I've gained years-worths of knowledge.
It also occurred to me that my very first posts on this blog were about camp, too, so that means I've been blogging here for about a year. That's quite a milestone. That makes this the only journal I've ever been able to consistently keep up with for any significant amount of time. Thats pretty cool.
And finally I leave you with this: the (temporary) answer to the delimma of where I'm going. (Remember the posts about Africa and NY and California and all that?) Here it is. The answer and the reason I don't believe in making plans: I'm not going anywhere. You heard me right. I'm staying in the place that was at the very bottom of my list of places I wanted to be. Right here in my hometown. I decided to spend the next year getting my teaching certification and when I did, doors started opening up all over the place. Not that the doors aren't complete with hoops through which I have to jump, but the doors just flung open wide. I mentioned the fact that I would soon be looking for a teaching position to someone and by the next morning I had an interview. By the next week I had an offer from that district as well as another. And all that without sending out a single application. So now I am spending a considerable amount of energy getting all my papers and credentials and transcripts and whatever else in order. And for at least the next 9 months I will be a middle school math teacher. It seems like a good step. I will feel more equipped when I decide to go teach in Africa and it will afford me more opportunities if I end up in California or back in NY. I can start making a grown-up salary and I'll be able to get assistance paying off my student loans. So into the classroom I go. Wish me luck.
It also occurred to me that my very first posts on this blog were about camp, too, so that means I've been blogging here for about a year. That's quite a milestone. That makes this the only journal I've ever been able to consistently keep up with for any significant amount of time. Thats pretty cool.
And finally I leave you with this: the (temporary) answer to the delimma of where I'm going. (Remember the posts about Africa and NY and California and all that?) Here it is. The answer and the reason I don't believe in making plans: I'm not going anywhere. You heard me right. I'm staying in the place that was at the very bottom of my list of places I wanted to be. Right here in my hometown. I decided to spend the next year getting my teaching certification and when I did, doors started opening up all over the place. Not that the doors aren't complete with hoops through which I have to jump, but the doors just flung open wide. I mentioned the fact that I would soon be looking for a teaching position to someone and by the next morning I had an interview. By the next week I had an offer from that district as well as another. And all that without sending out a single application. So now I am spending a considerable amount of energy getting all my papers and credentials and transcripts and whatever else in order. And for at least the next 9 months I will be a middle school math teacher. It seems like a good step. I will feel more equipped when I decide to go teach in Africa and it will afford me more opportunities if I end up in California or back in NY. I can start making a grown-up salary and I'll be able to get assistance paying off my student loans. So into the classroom I go. Wish me luck.
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