Camp T

So I made it here to Minnesota! I'm at Camp working as a general counsellor until August. It is such a beautiful place. We're training all this week with all the activities, with the kids arriving in a week. Basically we work morning till night with Friday night 9pm until Sunday 10am off a week.

I won't lie - my first day here wasn't the best. I really doubted if I had made the right decision. Everyone that was here seemed to know each other so well and I felt like I was never going to make friends and felt extremely homesick that night. It wasn't a nice feeling, ill be honest. Everyone was friendly but I really missed my friends and wanted to come home.

That all changed the next day. I must have still been jet lagged or whatever but a good nights rest really fixed my mood up and I got to know the people here a lot more. They are seriously awesome. There are people from all over the place - locals from the city (Minneapolis and St Paul), heaps of Brits, a couple from New Zealand and Australia, and even a guy from Amsterdam.

Here at camp we had to make up 'camp names' cause apparently the kids aren't meant to know your real name. I could only come up with the name Lemons as back in the day it was commented to me that I smelt like a lemon and was then called it by this particular group of people. Plus Dee was already taken. Thus for the next two months I am now known as Lemons - not Eva!

That night after we finished up for the day, one of the girls Laser asked me to come for a drive with this guy Sam (who was at camp last year and lived in the area) with this girl Shmo and a guy named Pepper so even though I was knackered I thought I should take every opportunity at this point to say yes to everything. 

What initially started as a little drive around the lake turned into us dropping into two grad house parties. Needless to say it was an extremely random night out (I was in a hoodie and glasses for christs sake) but we were given heaps of free beers and vodka and I even got to try some Minnesotan green which was nice! It was seriously such a fun time. Americans are very cool and love Australians. We pretty much bonded and had our last cigarette outside of camp after getting dropped off. We stumbled back into the bunks at 1am (all the counsellors are staying in a huge room at the moment with I think 30 bunks) and finally settled into bed.

I spent the next day very hungover (it was the first day of training) but we did things like try out the giant swing, go on a massive scavenger hunt, swim in the lake, etc. Even though I was out of it it was a great day.

I wish I had more photos but honestly it's been the last thing on my mind. Some people I've noticed are kinda obsessed with updating their facebook and Instagram and checking their 'likes' and all that (there's only one room in the entire camp that has wifi mind you) but I've honestly had no desire to (apart from Skype family and friends here and there to let them know I'm still alive). Each to their own though, everybody is different.

   From the beginning I really wanted this trip to be about me finding myself and gaining that independence only solo travelling can give to you. I want myself to be fully immersed in this experience - not having half my mind still stuck in whats happening in Melbourne.

Of course I miss home (especially my family - my nonna cried on Skype the other night -.-) but its getting better as I'm getting closer to the other counsellors here. We are living, eating, sleeping and working together 24 hours a day so you are bound to form some great relationships. That being said It has been tough work every day but I'm beginning to realise why everyone calls camp the best summer of your life.

And this is just the beginning.

Until next time,

eva xxx