Staff Training

Well, I obviously haven't posted in a while because this week I was super busy with all of my staff training (and the wifi is awful). Basically I learned all about every single protocol in the staff manual (which isn't as big as my lifeguarding/CPR/first aid manual), regarding off camp trips, emergency procedures, meal time, etc. Everyone at camp is so friendly and fun to be around. This week I got headaches everyday (except Wednesday) from the heat and humidity, which is crazy considering I've lived in Florida my whole life and ended up sleeping in the air conditioned infirmary for a little over an hour one day after lunch.

On Sunday when I got to camp, everyone took a Briggs Myers personality test. When we got our tests back later, we not only found out our personality results (I'm an ISFJ), but the Harry Potter character who's personality corresponds to the letters....I got Hagrid. I had high hopes for one of the three main characters, because that would be too awesome, but it's better than getting Voldemort or something! Only one other person got the same results, and she was someone I'd never really had the opportunity to work with yet because she works in the stables with the horses, which is really time consuming, so it was awesome to get to know someone new!

On Wednesday, everyone who needed to be re-certified (or certified for the first time) in First Aid and CPR spent the morning doing that while the rest of us spent that time in the office (with air conditioning!) putting together camper care packages and making direction signs for parents dropping their kids off at the camp. While doing this, I discovered that one of my coworkers is a huge Dance Moms fan, like myself, so we watched the previous night's episode while sign making. It was a blast and a half to say the least. Later that night, we found out where we're assigned to work this week. I got my first choice session, which I'm really excited about! It's an Amazing Race session for middle school girls and we're going on a three day, two night trip around northeast Florida. It'll be a lot of fun, since it's going to be like the show (which a Chi Omega won last season!)

I don't know if I've posted about how secluded this camp is, but it is in the middle of nowhere. COMPLETELY separated from civilization! The day's most exciting event is being able to go to the Kangaroo a mile up the road to fill up your Roo Cup (you pay $7 for a big cup that you get 25 cent refills in all summer). Generally we all load up cars during our time off (TO) and make our "Roo runs." On Wednesday night, we had our TO from 8-10 (our day ends at 10, we have to be on camp property by 11, and lights off is at midnight), so three of my coworkers and myself drove to Gainesville (which is a little over 30 minutes away) and spent about half an hour there. We went to the Chi Omega house and took pictures and the Kappa Delta house (one of my coworkers is a KD at UNF) and drove around and looked at all the other houses they have. We had about ten extra minutes so we drove to Shands so my big could see a high school friend while the other three of us went to the bathroom (and took some paper towels to bring back to camp, since we're "eco-friendly" and don't have them at camp). It was so exciting to actually go out and be a part of actual civilization in real-life clothes, rather than gym clothes!

I also have to tell you all that it rains A LOT at camp. Not even just rain, but thunderstorms. A tornado touched down by camp on Tuesday and on Wednesday when we were training in the dining hall, the wind was whipping around so much that the doors of the building were opening and closing on their own! We had to tie the doors shut...it was like something out of a scary movie! On Tuesday night, the power for our camp and the camp across the lake shut off! The weather is crazy!

We have an award/recognition system at work where each person fills out a green slip of paper after lunch everyday (we only did it two days this week, though) calling out one staff member for a moment of character, eco-friendliness, positivity, etc. When someone writes one for you, you receive a bead on your bead string that hangs in the dining hall corresponding to what someone said you did (a purple bead for moment of character, green for eco-friendly, etc) Once a week, we fill out a golden slip nominating someone for staff member of the week, who also gets a special color bead. On Thursday, we got slips other people had filled out for us back and I got two green slips from people! One was for moment of character, I don't remember what the other one was for. Yesterday, our bead strings were hung in the dining hall (in alphabetical order). Before we got to see them, my boss stood up and told everyone that there are also special beads you can get if the leadership team thinks you've done something to deserve a leadership team award bead. When she said this, my first thought was "Well, I haven't done anything noteworthy this week!" But I was one of the three people who got a leadership award! I got it for my positive attitude and for really breaking out of my shell this week. I was really honored and proud of myself for being recognized by the leadership team.

Later that day, we got "paper plate awards." I was a little confused as to what these were, but everyone gets a paper plate, puts their name on a paper plate and they all get passed around the circle and people write a word or short phrase about that person on their plate. It was a lot of fun, but really difficult for people I didn't know very well! After that, we made "burn bracelets" that we're supposed to wear the entire summer and even longer if we can (I'll only be able to wear mine until recruitment, unfortunately!)

When we finished that, it was time to leave for the weekend! I got back to Orlando at about 8:10, spent 10 minutes changing and freshening up and had dinner at Chili's with my big, grandbig and her boyfriend. It was so awesome eating non-camp food! Don't get me wrong, 90% of the food at camp isn't bad at all, but let's be serious, Chili's is the best. I was so tired afterward that when I got home I watched TV for about an hour and went to bed! I was hoping to sleep in this morning, but I woke up at about 8:30. Camp has turned me into an early riser--it's been two weeks since I've slept past 9! I think that just about covers everything! Hopefully it'll be before next Saturday that I get to post again. Now off to do all of my homework for the week....yay.