Hello ladies! Tis a fine night in Wenham-- the sunset was like "cotton candy," as a fellow staff member put it. Bettina, one of the junior counselors, and I were trying to start a water balloon battle but the fun was ruined when a big group of our staff opted to go see the new "Batman" instead. But no worries, I had great success in starting a water balloon fight a couple weeks ago, although it evolved from water balloons to cups of water to full pitchers of soapy water:) It was definitely the highlight of the summer so far.
Being the Adventure Camp chef has been such a blessing. Every day is so rewarding, between the hours of dinner prep and the satisfaction of sitting down to a meal with such a rambunctious crowd at the end of a long day. One of the best parts is when people start dancing spontaneously in the kitchen during kitchen duty. My Romanian pop has been a big hit, and just yesterday evening we were doing the "Cha Cha Slide" during dinner prep. It was pretty chaotic.
The picture above is the Giant Swing, my favorite Adventure Camp activity. You're pulled up 50 ft by the rest of the group, where you then pull a cord and swing back and forth through the trees! Oh it's so much fun! Sarah did it for the first time today and she was cringing the whole time, her eyes shut tightly as she squeezed the rope. I love seeing people's reactions.
A group of us had a cookout at Gull on the 4th, complete with roasting brats over a fire, reading historical speeches from atop the picnic table, and noodle hockey. I'm really thankful for this opportunity to be apart of a new community and get to know people I never would have met otherwise. Everyone has different eccentricities that come together to make one lively and vibrant community. But it's definitely not perfect.
Sarah was ready for action, bringing out her wild, mischevious side that we all know *wink wink*
Sarah and I spent one Saturday evening in Rockport and then ate dinner at the Lobster Poole, where it's BYOB:) We then witnessed a splendid sunset at Plum Cove Beach. We shared our life stories over lobster rolls and hard cider. I think we learned a great deal about each other that we did not know after these three years at Gordon together. I have enjoyed our pillow talks and sharing with one another about the different challenges we're facing in our respective positions. I'm learning just how much wisdom and discernment is necessary when striving to be a good leader. There is so much to take into consideration-- disciplinary measures, the line between treating people like children and treating them like adults, when to be firm and when to be understanding, etc. I'm learning to be a better communicator and to be more honest in the moment rather than hiding my frustrations.
I'm not looking forward to the summer ending and being torn from yet another community in which I've begun to put roots down, but I'm excited to be returning to the wild and wonderful, spunky and spontaneous community that is YOU LADIES! We should start a bucket list for our final year at Gordon... I hope all of you are being stretched and filled up in this summer before our final year. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading about everyone's adventures.
Much love from Gordon.
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