We worked and cleaned and prepped for campers all day, blah blah blah, I’ll skip to the good parts. Starting with the campfire.
Every Friday night, all of Camp Harwood gathers for a campfire at the big fire circle deep in the woods. Tonight was no exception, and the official end of staff training was cause for celebration. Staff performed skits, sang songs, and told stories. It was a lot of fun. There was some serious stuff too. Part of the ritual every Friday night includes sitting in silence- as a group- for five minutes. This is to reflect on our time at camp and our achievements, and well as set goals for the future. It was really beautiful, listening to the rustling trees and the crackling fire as I thought about what I want to achieve this summer. I like to think that I’m already living a story worth telling.
And little did I know, my story was about to get a lot more interesting.
After campfire, we were dismissed for the night off. I’d heard rumors of a house party happening, which were quickly confirmed by the girls in my cabin as soon as we got back. I guess that even though everyone is invited, people try to be discreet about partying so that it's easier for Benny to turn a blind eye on us in our off time.
Which I totally get. If he doesn’t see that we’re up to no good, it's easier for him to pretend our camp is more like Camp Walden than Camp Firewood.
The party was at a guy named Liam’s house, he’s a third-year counselor as well as a third generation counselor. His father worked here, as well as his grandfather. They have a house on the next lake down from Hart Lake, and apparently have parties all the time. Someone described their family as “the Gatsbys of Camp Harwood”- they’re rich, generous, and love to have a good time. The girls said it's about a 25 minute walk from our cabin to get there, and that if we’re tired at the end of the night, there is an open invitation to sleep there. I figured that if I was going to experiment in underage drinking, this would be a pretty safe environment to do so.
Getting ready in the cabin with Cali, Jess, and Alexa was fun. We blasted pop music and, in Alexa’s words, got “camp glam”. After quickly showering, we threw on sundresses, mascara, and put a little effort into our hair. I straightened mine, Cali and Jess braided each others’, and Alexa tamed her curls. Cali pulled four cans of Mountain Dew out of her mini fridge (I guess it's common for people to bring those here?), opened them, and poured a little bit out of each onto the ground outside. Then, after rummaging around in her suitcase for a minute, she opened up a hidden bottle of cheap vodka, and filled each can to the top with alcohol.
We toasted to a great night out, and I tried to play it cool. It was a very strong first drink.
As the sun started to set, we headed to Liam’s house. We sipped our drinks, gossiped and placed bets on what would happen tonight. Cali already knew about my crush on Lucas, and I confessed my feelings to the other girls. They’re all excited for me, and said they’re happy to find reasons for us to be left alone together.
Sycamore staff arrived fashionably late, and by the time we got to Liam’s, the party was in full swing. People were spread out throughout the giant house, dancing, drinking, and playing games on the lawn. It was an overwhelming scene straight out of a college movie, but I felt surprisingly comfortable. Probably because everyone- well, almost everyone- here has been warm and kind to me.
I think I was also a little tipsy. We had all finished our drinks on the walk there. I felt warm and a little dizzy, but in a fun way. Alexa brought me a fruity tasting drink from the kitchen, and I sipped on it for the rest of the night.
We played drinking games for awhile- turns out I’m pretty good at beer pong? Cali, Jess, and Alexa kept me entertained, introducing me to everyone there. I think I’ve talked to almost every staff member now.
Time moved fast, and after a while, I ended up alone with Lucas at the end of the dock, sitting together and dangling our feet in the water. We talked for what felt like forever, sitting so close that our knees were touching. It was electric.
At one point, there was a comfortable silence. We looked at each other, and I was feeling it, so I kissed him! And he kissed me back! It was long and slow and sweet, just like I’d been hoping for since I saw him on Sunday in The Lodge. That feels like forever ago, like I’ve wanted him for so long.
We didn’t do much more than kiss before we were interrupted by Liam, who ran down the dock in his boxers and did a cannonball into the moonlit lake, followed by a handful of equally drunk and naked friends. I don’t know if they even noticed Lucas and I. If they did, they didn’t care or make a big deal out of it.
We laughed and got up, and walked back to the house, trying to be discreet.
Jess and Alexa were passed out on the porch with their clothes on, but Cali found me and asked if I wanted to walk back to camp with her. I said bye to Lucas, and we headed out. I filled Cali in on what had happened, and she was so excited for me!
Now we’re back in Sycamore, and I’m about to crash. I’m just- I’m so happy. I can’t believe I’ve been here less than a week. I already feel like a new woman.
This has been an excerpt from Camp Stories, a narrative podcast by Maddie Hammond. Listen to full episodes for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
After a few days of these long hours, I thought my body would be used to it. I thought wrong.
It rained all day, but that didn’t stop us from working our butts off. We spent the morning in first aid and CPR training, which was surprisingly physical and draining. Lots of skits and simulations. The highlight was when I was called up to play a victim, and Lucas had to bandage a pretend wound on my arm. Was it actually sexy? No. Was I turned on as he wrapped gauze around my elbow? Yep.
I keep daydreaming about him when he’s not around, and we usually find a way to be near each other when we’re in the same room. I think there’s some kind of party happening tomorrow night, so maybe I’ll woman up and make a move then? Is it too early in the summer to get involved? Who knows? I’m just here to have a good time.
And make great memories for the campers. Obviously.
The elbow bandage was the most exciting part of the day. After lunch, we sat in The Lodge for hours as Benny, Amanda, and Bert talked us through basically everything we’d ever need to know- daily and weekly schedules, how to manage pretty much any kind of conflict between staff and campers, how to deal with parents, etc.
I promised myself I’d write down everything about this summer, but most of today’s events really aren’t worth telling. It was a boring one.
This has been an excerpt from Camp Stories, a narrative podcast by Maddie Hammond. Listen to full episodes for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
We spent all day working at our programs today, so I bounced from sailing to canoeing to waterskiing.
Working at sailing this morning was a lot of fun. It turns out that when I was sweeping the boathouse on Monday, the sailing staff got out every boat they needed for the summer and basically had the program ready to go. I’m getting a big “work hard, play hard” vibe from them.
Because all the heavy lifting and chores were done, we spent the morning sailing! Cali took me out on a run down little boat and taught me all about how to read the wind, adjust the sail, and steer. She said that I’m a natural, and that I’ll be sailing the bigger boats in no time.
While we were sailing, Cali very candidly asked me if I’m interested in Lucas. It didn’t make sense to lie to her, so I told her about the connection I felt with him when we first met. She approves, said he's great, and is already planning ways to be a great wingwoman. She also promised to show me where she keeps a box of condoms hidden in her trunk, should I ever need them. I thought that was really cool.
After lunch, I headed to canoeing. I don’t want to sound too judgemental, but I think the canoeing staff smoke a lot of weed. Not really my scene, but I’m not bothered by it. They were stereotypically chill as we paddled around the lake in canoes. I preferred the wind in my hair on the sailboat, but still enjoyed the company.
All day I managed to avoid Bert and Kyle, but after dinner, they invited me to go skiing with them. Bert made sure to emphasize that it would be good “work experience”- I guess he’s dead set on me not having fun. Joke’s on him though- I loved driving the speedboat. And I was great at it, even the skiing director complimented me after I successfully towed Kyle around the lake.
I can’t say I was particularly good at skiing though. I got up and going after my sixth try, but only managed to stay vertical for about three seconds before my legs spread into a comical straddle and I let go of the tow rope. Before I face planted, I swear I saw Bert laughing at me. I’m determined to get better at this, just to wipe that stupid smirk off his face.
I told my cabinmates all about it when I got back to Sycamore, they just rolled their eyes and told me to ignore Bert. I think that's easier said than done. That being said, I’m up for the challenge.
This has been an excerpt from Camp Stories, a narrative podcast by Maddie Hammond. Listen to full episodes for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Because today was the first day with the whole staff here at camp, we started early. Really early. 7:30 am is the standard wake up time when campers are here, so that's when we woke up today in order to start getting used to the regular schedule.
Before breakfast, we gathered outside The Lodge for flag-raising, another part of a regular camp day. It was cool seeing the chosen staff members for the day- two older male counselors- unfold and raise the flag as a silent crowd watched. Very patriotic.
We sat with our cabin staff for breakfast, which is going to be the norm for the rest of the training week. This way, we’re already divided into groups for team building exercises. And bonding. Everyone is really into bonding here. It makes sense.
The morning was dedicated to a policy and procedures talk from a corporate-looking guy with a scraggly mustache and ironed jeans. He told us all about how to handle the less fun parts of working with kids- bullying, cliques, what to do if a kid tells you they’re being abused at home. It was another eye-opening experience for me. I’ve always been lucky to have a stable life at home with two loving and respectful parents. I wouldn’t go so far to say that my life has been perfect, but I teared up a little hearing about how domestic abuse can affect kids who come here.
I feel pretty prepared to be able to help, but I’m glad I have experienced women working with me.
At lunch, Jess and Cali filled me in on their favorite ways to deal with cliquey 12-year-olds- find common ground. They said that they are really able to get the girls to put aside their differences if they see themselves as a team, usually in a competitive event against the Cottonwood boys.
That makes sense to me, sort of a “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” mentality.
Since we had just spent about five hours in The Lodge, I was thrilled when Benny announced that we would be spending the afternoon hiking in the woods, learning about the local plants and animals. Even though I’ll be working at the water programs, Camp Harwood has a lot of all-camp wilderness programming. We’re going to end up taking a lot of hikes, climbing a lot of trees, and even spending the night in shelters we make.
The weather was beautiful today- sunny with a cool breeze. Perfect for spending time outside.
The staff of Cottonwood (Dave’s cabin) and my cabin paired up, and we spent most of the afternoon learning and perfecting survival skills, like how to build shelters and campfires. I was totally out of my comfort zone, but the entire group was so excited to help me learn.
After our hiking came dinner, then a short but intense game of all-camp, boys vs girls Capture the Flag. The boys found and captured the flag from our territory in about 20 minutes. They think it's because they’re so smart and fast, but in reality Amanda hid it in an easy spot so we could wrap the game up early and have some relaxing time at our cabins after a mentally and physically exhausting day.
I’m keeping this short (shorter?) tonight because I’m very sleepy.
This has been an excerpt from Camp Stories, a narrative podcast by Maddie Hammond. Listen to full episodes for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Today was… overwhelming. Exciting and fun, but overwhelming.
I met with the other first-year girls before breakfast. There’s no coffee here, but the girl who didn’t really talk to anyone but her boyfriend yesterday actually turned out to be awesome and surprised us all with canned coconut milk lattes she’d brought from home. Her name is Becca, and she’s living in Birch with the 11-year-olds. She brought a mini fridge and said we’re all welcome to use it.
We met up with everybody else in The Lodge, where the kitchen staff had put out a very minimal breakfast. Since there were only 12 of us (plus Benny) eating, they hadn’t bothered making a full hot meal, instead leaving us a spread of grocery-store pastries and a fruit salad that was mostly melon. I grabbed a banana and a bagel, and ate with Dave and Lucas. I must have missed it in the whirlwind of information we received last night, but Dave is working in Cottonwood, which is the brother cabin to Sycamore. I don’t really know what that means yet, but I think we do some shared activities. It’ll be nice to have him around, he’s a really cool guy.
I get the idea that Dave and Lucas are popular here, so it's interesting to me that we’ve become fast friends. Of course, I want to be a lot more than friends with Lucas… but I’ve been here less than twenty-four hours and I haven’t managed to scare off any potential friends yet! Maybe it's because I’m obviously not the weird one here. Compared to the twins, I probably seem normal! Maybe even cool!
The main floor of The Lodge is the dining hall, but the building has a lot more to offer. There is a giant porch wrapping around two sides, the main camp office in the back corner, and a large basement that is strictly for staff member use only. We checked it out after eating, and there’s a lot going on down there. Couches, TVs, board games, some computers, a vintage pinball machine. Dave told me most of it comes from alumni donations, adults who look back on their years here at camp and want the current counselors to have a place to unwind in our off time. I didn’t realize how involved the alumni would be, but Camp Harwood has been around for 90 years, so a lot of people have come here. And it seems like a lot of them loved it.
We spent the morning socializing in The Lodge as the rest of the staff arrived at camp. I ended up spending a lot of time with the first-year British staff, since like me, they didn’t know anyone else. We all sat on a couch and got to know each other while the returning staff poured in, laughing and hugging and reuniting after what had been a long year apart.
I’m not offended or feeling left out by how close everyone here is, I’m just happy to be a part of it.
Camp Harwood really values tradition, and the first lunch of staff training has a very specific menu. Ravioli lunch. Which, to me, is an odd choice. But everyone here loves it. By the time we sat down for lunch, the entire staff was here, banging their fists on the cafeteria-style tables and chanting “Ravioli! Ravioli!”
Meals here are served family style, so after each table was served heaping platters of ravioli, the next step of the tradition commenced. And I was not ready.
An older female counselor with a punky black haircut stood on her table and bellowed “Eat it with your faces!”
Everyone pushed aside their clean utensils and empty plates, and like vultures feeding on roadkill, started grabbing raviolis and shoving them straight into their mouths.
It. Was. The. Weirdest. Thing. I’ve. Ever. Seen.
But you know what I did? I ate that ravioli with my face like a wild animal. And it was awesome. Messy, but awesome. And delicious, I might add.
After a few minutes of total chaos, every ravioli had been devoured. Everyone started clearing the tables and washing up. It all happened so fast, and before I knew it, the whole staff was seated patiently and quietly, waiting for the welcome meeting to start. Once again, I felt like I was at wizard school, rather than summer camp.
Benny gave a welcome speech which was similar to the one he gave yesterday, but I had an easier time concentrating today. Sure, I was distracted by Lucas, who was sitting across from me, but the initial shock of seeing him for the first time had mostly worn off.
Benny is a modern hippie. His parents worked at Camp Harwood year-round when he was a kid, so he’s basically spent his whole life here, other than a few humanitarian trips he’d taken in his 20s. He loves this place and these people so much, and it's really cool to hear him talk about the difference we can make in the campers' lives this summer. I’ve been so caught up in my own adventure that I haven’t even been thinking about the kids.
After what may have been the greatest pep talk of all time, Benny introduced us to his assistants, Amanda and Bert. Amanda is the Land Director, overseeing all programs that don’t involve wearing a swimsuit (her words, not mine). Bert is the Water Director. Amanda rocks, Bert sucks. They both have solid credentials, both have graduated from college and are experts in their field, but my first impressions are usually right. Amanda is funny, energetic, and supportive. Bert is generic white-guy handsome, but he hasn’t smiled once and seems over it already. And of course, Bert is my boss, since I’m the water swing. Yikes.
We broke up to spend time in our program areas. So I got to hang out with Bert, who was quick to clarify that I’m the junior water swing. I’m not sure why he had to say it in such a demeaning way. The senior water swing is named Kyle, he and Bert seem to get along pretty well. I don’t want to immediately play the “I’m a girl, and I’m young, so they hate me” card, but that's the vibe I’m getting. I basically followed the two of them around the lakefront like a stray puppy as they talked about their plans for the summer, where they were going on the weekends, and who they were going to hook up with.
It was uncomfortable, but helped me get a read on their whole situation pretty fast. Luckily, I won’t be working directly with them most of the time, since we’ll be subbing at different water programs.
I ended up helping sweep out the boathouse as the sailing and boating staff brought the boats outside. It wasn’t very exciting work, but it was nice to have some alone time to think and process. Plus, the boathouse staff had a great playlist of pop/rock/rap mashups going.
The afternoon flew by, and before dinner the returning staff were all sorted into their cabins for the summer. Sycamore seems like a really cool group of girls. It's me, Cali, Alexa, and Jess.
Cali and Jess are both 4th-year staff, 22 years old, and best friends. Cali works at sailing, Jess at high ropes (with Lucas, hello)! This is Alexa’s 2nd year, and she’s from England. The three of them spent dinner telling me their favorite things about camp, as well as what to avoid. I think they all party pretty hard on the weekends. I keep getting grouped with the coolest people, which is both thrilling and terrifying.
We had free time after dinner, so we spent some time hanging up decorations in the cabin. We decided to make Sycamore as rainbow and bright as possible, so the girls don’t feel like they have to act grown up while they’re here. Cali and Jess have been in Sycamore every summer they’ve worked, and they told me all about how it's fun to encourage the 12-year-olds to be their true selves while they’re here, because puberty is hard, especially for girls. I love all the girl-power posters they’ve hung up- Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, Princess Leia, Shuri. We even have a little framed photo of Ruth Bader Ginsburg above the door frame.
After covering the walls in rainbows and feminist icons, we met up with all the other Girls Camp counselors at the firepit between our cabins. We roasted marshmallows, braided each other's hair, and painted our nails. Just like a giant outdoor slumber party.
And of course, we talked about boys. And girls, there are a handful of LGBT staff here too. I was trying to get some info on Lucas without being too obvious. Cali can definitely tell I’m into him, but I think she’s the only one perceptive enough to figure out what I’m asking. Everyone has great things to say about him, as a friend. I guess I’m the only one having a sexual awakening every time I see him. So that's good for me.
I’m turning in for the night. What a great day.
This has been an excerpt from Camp Stories, a narrative podcast by Maddie Hammond. Listen to full episodes for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Holy shit. Camp Harwood is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. I’m in love, and I’ve only been here a few hours.
I’m settled into my bunk for the night, and I’m really glad I have some time to write everything down that happened today. I never want a reason to forget any of it.
So we’ll start from this morning. My parents surprised me with a miniature going away party, which was really cool. They set up a pancake and waffle buffet, and a few of our neighbors came over. Big graduation parties are pretty standard where I live, but that was never really my style. Waffle bar? Totally my style.
Knowing that I had a schedule for the day, everyone was really respectful of my time and headed out after we ate. Dad loaded my bags into my car for me while Mom and I did one final sweep of my room, making sure I had everything and left it clean and tidy for when I get back in August. They offered one last time to drive with me, but understood when I declined their offer. This is my time. Plus, I love driving alone.
After some hugs, I was on my way! The drive wasn’t bad at all, and I got to enjoy what was probably my last iced caramel macchiato for a while.
I stopped at a store to pick up a few supplies that I waited until the last minute to get- some hiking sandals, a new water bottle, and some inexpensive bedding that I don’t have to worry about keeping in nice condition over the next two months. I decided on a rainbow-striped quilt and white cotton sheets with little yellow rubber duckies printed all over them. Hopefully the silly bedding makes me approachable to the kids. I also picked up some non-perishable snacks- chips, cookies, protein bars, that sort of thing. It seemed right for summer camp.
It was around 2 p.m. when my GPS directed me to turn down a long winding dirt road, and I immediately felt butterflies in my stomach. My windows were down, my music was up, and passing through the old camp gates felt like opening a brand new book to page one.
“Welcome to Camp Harwood.”
I didn’t see another person (or car, for that matter) for the first few minutes as I drove down the tree-lined dirt road.
I guess I didn’t realize that only a few staff members were arriving today. It turns out that Sunday is New Staff Orientation, so everyone who has worked here before will show up tomorrow morning. All Benny had told me was to be in “The Lodge” at 2:30 pm, and we’d go from there. Luckily, The Lodge is located at the end of the main camp road, on top of a hill, so even as a first-timer, I couldn’t get too lost.
I parked my car in the big lot outside The Lodge, grabbed my backpack, and headed inside.
Thankfully, Benny was there to greet me. He was sitting on a table at the far end of the big room- which I soon found out is the dining hall- strumming an acoustic guitar. With his long hair, ripped jeans, and work boots, he looked a lot more at home here in the woods than he did at my high school where he had interviewed me. Note that he wasn’t sitting at the table, but on the table. I think that’s an important distinction.
Benny heard the door close behind me, smiled, and beckoned me over to sit at the long table nearest him. Honestly, I felt like I was Harry Potter entering the great hall for the first time, with Benny as a young scrappy Dumbledore. I’d like to be able to say he dropped some Albus-like wisdom here, but he didn’t. Instead, after I sat, he went back to strumming his guitar.
A few minutes later, other staff my age started trickling in. First, a tall, athletic boy with dark skin, curly hair, and the kind of confident grin that I wish I had every time I walked into a new room. He came and sat next to me, and whispered an introduction. Dave. Dave is cool. I’m going to make sure we’re friends.
A group of chatty Brits came in next- three girls and two boys. They sat a little away from Dave and I, I’m assuming they flew here together and have already been bonding for awhile. They kept chatting as Benny continued to play.
Then came the twins. John and Jaci. They sat across from Dave and I. I only know their names because they were wearing matching Camp Harwood windbreakers with “John” and “Jaci” embroidered under the camp logo. They didn’t talk to anyone but themselves and Benny for the whole day. I get the idea that they were campers here for a long time, and they want to be Benny’s favorite counselors. I’ve been accused of brown-nosing before, but I don’t think I’ve ever been as obnoxious as they were all day.
Next up- another couple. A girl who seemed very excited to be there, and a boy who didn’t. Holding hands, so it was pretty clear that they weren’t related (we aren’t in the “date-your-cousin” part of the country). They sat at the back of the room, which was really weird considering there were only a handful of us in such a large space. More on them later.
Right at 2:30 pm, the back door swung open for the last time, revealing the twelfth and final member of our new staff group. And when I tell you my heart stopped… I mean my heart stopped. I’ve never seen a boy as hot as Lucas. Our eyes met immediately, and it was like being hit by lightning. Or, what I imagine what it's like to be hit by lightning. Sitting here it's hard to describe him, or what I find most attractive about him. His hair is messy and auburn, I want to run my fingers through it. He’s lanky but athletic, with freckles scattered across the bridge of his nose.
And by some stroke of luck, he’s best buddies with my new friend Dave.
After Dave and Lucas exchanged a quick bro-hug, Benny finally put down his guitar. He gave us a really nice welcome address, but honestly I was preoccupied by the fact that the most distractingly beautiful man I’d ever seen was sitting three feet away from me. I had to actively concentrate on one of Benny’s long gray hairs in order to keep myself from turning around in my seat and just staring at Lucas.
First up on our itinerary for the afternoon was a walking tour of camp. Benny led us from The Lodge down to the lakefront, where we could really appreciate the view of the water. I’d seen plenty of photos of Hart Lake on the Camp Harwood website, but none of them did it justice. It’s so beautiful. Benny gave us a quick verbal history of the lake itself, explaining that the name came from the earliest settlers of this area, and that the shape of the lake was just a coincidence. We walked through all the water program areas- the boathouses for waterskiing, sailing, and canoeing, the fishing dock, and the swim zone. We even got to put our feet in the water, it was very chilly.
We climbed five flights of rickety stairs to The Overlook, which raised the bar for the best view of camp. The giant wooden platform is designed for campers to birdwatch, stargaze, and enjoy natural beauty from a different perspective, above the treetops. To the north, you can see the boathouses, to the south, the swimming area and nature shack. The stairs down to the rest of camp are on the east side of the platform, and to the west sits the rest of Hart Lake and- as Benny says- “the best damn view of a sunset you’ll ever get”. I look forward to watching the sun set from up there. Maybe with Lucas? It seems like a very romantic spot.
Next we headed back into the wooded parts of camp, away from the lake. We visited the residential cabins (split into Girls’ Camp and Boys’ Camp), the campfire circle, sports fields, arts hall, archery range, the ropes course and the rock wall. I somehow ended up hanging out with Dave and Lucas for most of the walking tour, which was ideal since I couldn’t stop thinking about Lucas. I judged them correctly, they are both working at a very athletic program this summer- high ropes and rock climbing. That explains the muscles.
After the tour, Benny brought us all back to his house, which is located across the parking lot from The Lodge. There, his wife greeted us with fresh-squeezed lemonade and a cookout. This is their tradition to welcome first-year staff, to make sure we feel welcome to the Harwood family. It was really nice, I had two hot dogs and then ate my weight in watermelon.
The whole time we sat on the porch, everyone was swapping camp stories. Other than the group of Brits, I was the only new staff member who had never been here before. It was cool hearing Dave and Lucas talk about the pranks they’d been pulling since they met at age 11. The twins bragged about the awards they won over the years. They’re going to be working at skiing, and I’m really not looking forward to working with them. They seem so stuck up, and make it known that their family is very wealthy.
When dinner wrapped up, it was time to get our cabin assignments. Basically, there are four sections of camp- Junior Camp, Senior Camp (both of which are co-ed and have their own larger cabins), Girls Camp, and Boys Camp. For the most part, new staff are assigned to one of the five cabins in Girls or Boys Camp, which are all named after trees that are found in this area. Girls Camp is made up of Sycamore, Dogwood, Sassafras, Cedar, and Birch. The Boys have Hemlock, Hawthorn, Cottonwood, Mulberry, and Tamarack.
Benny likes to split up the new staff between each of the cabins. I’m in Sycamore, which is in Girls Camp, and the kids who live with me will all be 12 years old. I don’t really remember where everyone else was placed, but of course I remembered one- Lucas. I really hoped he’d be in our “brother cabin”, but the cabin assignment gods did not smile upon me today. He’s in Tamarack, where the 14-year-old boys live.
I guess it's best that we won’t be working together or seeing each other much during the day, I would get too distracted. I literally can’t stop thinking about him. No boy has ever had this effect on me before. It's weird but also really fun. Day one and I’ve already discovered a potential love interest? Amazing.
We spent a couple hours on Benny’s porch learning camp history, asking questions, and memorizing camp songs. By the time the sun started to set, I was exhausted.
We all went our separate ways to move into our cabins, and that's where I am now. Sweet home Sycamore. Benny encouraged us to choose our bunk wisely, since we had first pick. I settled for a corner bottom bunk with an east-facing window, hopefully a little extra sunlight will make waking up easier every day.
I’m here alone for the night, but the other first-year girls are in the cabins near me. Jaci, the annoying twin, was assigned to junior camp, so at least I’ll only have to deal with her during program time. The five cabins of Girls Camp circle around a small fire pit, and we all decided to meet there in the morning before we go to breakfast and meet the rest of the staff. I wouldn’t say I’m friends with any of the other girls yet, but there is already a sense that we’re in this together.
I feel so lucky to be here.
This has been an excerpt from Camp Stories, a narrative podcast by Maddie Hammond. Listen to full episodes for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Hi! I’m Elizabeth Davis. You can call me Liz. Or Lizzie. I prefer Liz, but I suppose you aren’t going to call me anything because you are a diary.
Is it weird to introduce myself to you? Because obviously you’re just a bunch of dot grid paper bound in black leather that I picked up at the store last night. But we’re about to go on an adventure together, so I feel like an introduction is appropriate. Plus, when I’m older and looking back on the good old days, it’ll be nice to meet this version of myself again.
So anyways, hi! Let’s talk about me, it’ll be a nice little exposition. I know you can’t see me… well I hope you can’t see me… but I’m tall and blonde, sort of like a less athletic version of Blake Lively in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie, with shorter hair. And I have glasses. I don’t wear them all the time- contacts are usually more convenient for me- but I’m getting ready for bed and after I’ve showered, glasses and my fluffy unicorn robe are pretty much the uniform.
I just graduated from high school (Go Jets, Class of 2019)! In the fall I’m heading to college to study creative writing. I love telling stories, and instead of bumming around the community pool all summer, I’m living my own story and going to summer camp!
Not like… as a camper. I’m an adult. Technically. But movies and tv make working at summer camp look like the best thing ever, and now that I’ve graduated and all of my college plans are set, I want to live my own wet hot american pie adventure.
Plus, I don’t really have a lot of friends here at home. It turns out that when you prioritize test scores over parties, people eventually stop asking you to hang out. I don’t think I’m a total social pariah, but picture the overachieving artistic nerd girl from any high school movie and that's me. It’ll be nice to be around some different people for a few months.
So I’m packing up and headed to Camp Harwood tomorrow morning for staff training. It’s about two hours from my parents house, just far enough away to feel like I’m somewhere else, but I don’t have to worry about cramming everything I own into a suitcase and flying somewhere.
Packing is going well I think. I’ve watched at least a hundred “what to bring to summer camp” videos online, although it seems like there really are a lot of different ideas about what a camp counselor should wear, how they should decorate their bunk, etc.
This one video I watched went on and on about how having a personal mosquito net covering your bed is of utmost importance, but that seems like a way to establish myself as the loser really quickly. Can you imagine? All these cool tan girls show up to work for the summer and I’m the freak setting up miles of white mesh above my bunk? No thank you.
I just really hope the other counselors like me. And invite me to parties on the weekend and stuff. I don’t want to be too wild this summer, but I’ve never even been to a party with people my age. Besides a sip of my mom’s favorite wine coolers every once in a while, I’ve never even had alcohol. And I don’t expect my experience to be Wet Hot American Summer raunchy, but it would be really cool if I could have a little more… experience under my belt. Or below my belt. I’ve had a handful of movie theater makeouts, but that’s it.
I know, I know. “Liz, it's 2019. Why do you need a love interest to make your story more interesting?”
Listen. I’m grown up, I’m educated, and I’m all for women having control over their own bodies and their own pleasure. You want to sleep with every man and woman you meet? I support you and your safe sex. You want to wait until you’re married to “the one”? Good for you!
I fall somewhere in the middle. I want to have fun, but I haven’t been interested in the few options that may or may not have presented themselves to me.
Sigh.
End rant. For now. I just think it would be cool to have a guy to hang out with. It's fun to have a crush.
I won’t get my cabin assignment until I check in with the camp director tomorrow, but I do know that I’ll be spending my days as a “water swing”, meaning that I’ll get trained working at all the water-related programs and bounce between them as needed. Benny, the camp director, seemed really impressed by all of my extracurricular activities, so I think I got this job because I’ve proven my ability to juggle a lot at once. I don’t really know a lot about boats or watersports or anything, but I’m going to put in the work to be awesome.
I just really want this summer to be great. I want to make memories that last forever and live a story worth telling.
It's getting late, so I’ll wrap up for tonight. Tomorrow’s the day the adventure begins!
This has been an excerpt from Camp Stories, a narrative podcast by Maddie Hammond. Listen to full episodes on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
