One Very American Weekend! and more...

Break weekend was spent at Stephanies with Anna and Kellyanne. On Friday 5th we left camp and first went to a drive in movie. It was so much fun as I felt like I was in Grease! Stephanie drove in her convertible to the drive in which was amazing! I'd never been in a convertible before so that was enjoyable :) We saw Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes which was so good and then Captain America which me and Anna decided to sleep through! After that it was about 2am and we went for some food at a diner. I wasn't hungry after all the snacks but felt like I should get something as I was in a real diner! 

The next day we spent the day at Erins where Tash, Cross and Leanne were staying for the weekend in her huge house! It was a proper American style home with a huge basement and grand staircase. We went to Target in the day which is like a big TK Maxx/Matalan/Primark all in one! I got loads of makeup that was so much cheaper! Afterwards we went back to Erins where we had some BBQ food. We spent the night at Stephanies and the next day we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast which are basically Danish pastries, these were also amazing!
 

Cross, Anna, Kellyanne, Leanne, Erin, Stephanie and Tash

 We headed back to camp and arrived around 12pm. Our next lot of kids arrived around 4.30pm and we had 8 girls aged 7-10. This group was also just a 4 day group so they only had 2 full days at camp which was nice for us! For these days I worked with Anna, Emma, Sophie, Haley and Stephanie. As there were so many counsellors over those days we got a lot of time off so barely spent much time with these girls! They were nice enough but was happy when they left!

Those girls left on Wednesday and we were left to clean up camp! I helped cleaning out toilets, vans, the staffhouse etc which took up pretty much all of the day. In the evening me, Sophie and Emma went to the diner and drive in movie again! We saw The Smurfs which was suprisingly good!

The next day we got up and did a bit more cleaning around camp and then sunbathed on the docks for an hour or two. In the evening it was our staff party and the last day that the American staff would be at camp. I took full advantage of looking pretty again and felt very overdressed but did not care! We had a beach party and all ate dinner at the waterfront. I chose seafood for dinner and what I got was a huge lobster on my plate staring up at me with it's beady eyes. I felt pretty sick so got someone else to crack it open for me! It wasn't worth the effort as it tasted pretty disgusting. I'm sure it'd be nice in a restaurant though. Staff shirts were given out at the end that all say Camp Chenoa on them ahh!



Anna, Kellyanne, Sophie and Me




Emma, Tash, Anna, Megan, Sophie, Kellyanne, Ellis and Adelaide



The next day was the beginning of 'A La Carte' which was a 2 day camp taster for parents and troops like Brownies and Rainbows. All staff are also living in the same cabin now until we leave! We didn't have to live with these kids as their parents and troop leaders were there. It felt so good to not have to put them to bed or wake them up in the mornings! These girls signed up for different activities they wanted to do and staff were also split up into groups. Each activity was an hour long and I did boating, a game of capture the flag, mask making, face painting and nail painting. Was a very easy day!

Those kids left yesterday at 12pm and we were then free of kids forever!! Yay!! We drove to Concord afterwards and watched Glee 3D at the cinema! It was frigging amazing and I wish Mary was there to watch it with mee! We went to Walmart afterwards where I stocked up on loads of sweets and presents for everyone!!

Today we are going to Megans who lives near camp for a big leaving party. Her dad's a chef and wanted us to experience proper American food which will be a lot better than the crap we ate at camp!

We leave for New York at 6am tomorrow morning and will be getting a lift to Boston and then a bus to New York. I am really excited and not exactly sure what to expect! I'm sure I'll be totally overwhelmed. We are planning on getting an open bus tour the first 2 days so we can get a feel for where we want to go. Am hoping to see a Broadway show as well! We have 6 days in New York and are staying in a hotel in Brooklyn. Will be flying home on 22nd from JFK with Kellyanne also. Will be an emotional goodbye to everyone I can feel it!

So just over a week till I'm home and I can't wait to see all my friends and family!! I probably wont have time to update after this as I'l be back by then!

See you soonnnnn!

XxxxxxxX

So I'll start from where I left off! The beginning of last week was spent with Leanne, Tash and 5 nine year old girls who were on the 'team spirit' programme. It was safely the easiest week ever! as they were so well behaved and were always ready to go to their activities. The best part of the week was going to a high ropes course at a place called Monkey Trunks. It was soo much fun and was really challenging. It was basically an obstacle course suspended in the air!

That week was also quite stormy and wet which was a bit annoying! On the way back from the high ropes course we were caught in a storm, it was so bad that we couldn't see the cars in front, bit scary! We also did a "kitchen raid" late at night which is when the children think we are stealing food from the kitchen but we've actually planned it already which makes them really excited and scared so that they hide in the trees haha. Each unit has to do a staff skit about their programme for the week in front of all staff and campers so me, Leanne and Tash decided to do a cheesy over the top cheer about team spirit! These girls left on Saturday and our following group came that evening.

'Team Spirit' girls enjoying their kitchen raid food!



Me Tash and Leanne at staff skits!

This week was a bit different as we had two different groups in one week. So one group came for 3 and a half days then another group came for the second half of the week. The first group were really young kids that were aged 6 and up. We gave them a taster of camp by doing lots of different activities with them. They were hard work!!! Two or three were enough to handle but ten all at the same time screaming and running around was crazy. I had to tell them the same thing about 3 times before they registered and did what I told them! But they were still very cute. One night they wouldn't go to sleep because there was a mouse in their cabin but there's really nothing you can do so I told them that mice can't climb and that they should go back to sleep. One of them also woke me up to tell me her tooth was wobbly..!? Still nothing I can do go back to bed!! I was really happy when those girls left even if they were only here for 2 full days!

The next set of girls arrived that evening and were a bit older which was nice! These girls want me to paint their nails and plait their hair all the time, which reminds me I have never done so many french plaits on people in my life! They love it! Along with eyebrow shaping! I have called it Spa Elly and if people want their eyebrows shaped or nails done then they come to me, I'm slowly making my way around the staffs eyebrows and sorting them out! Haha. These girls leave tomorrow and then it is break weekend! I am spending my break weekend at Stephanie's house with a couple of other friends where we'll relax at the pool, go to a drive in movie and a real diner!!

Next week I am not sure what I will be doing but it will either be spent cleaning up camp or with another 4 day programme and then camp is nearly over! The staff party is on 11th which is a big clam bake and party on the beach that we have. This will be a nice chance to dress up and look pretty again yay! 

So there's only 12 days till the end of camp and New York and 18 days till I'm home! Excitedd!!

XXXXX

30 kids & 5 counsellors in 5 days!

Sorry I haven't had a chance to write in a while it has been a very long week and a half! 

So Il start from where I left off! This week we had a new set of kids and a new programme called Beach Watch. This means that they do the regular things at camp but have extra time at the waterfront doing boating and swimming (more sunbathing time for me) and have a trip to the beach! We also split them up into groups of 3 so it made it a bit easier for them to get to their activities. 

On the first night of new campers, the counsellors all get a midnight treat at each cabin and this week it was 3 tubs of Ben and jerrys and a weird cake that looks like hamburgers and a pile of crap. Think it's suppose to be chips? Was tasty tho! haha. Think theyre trying to make everyone obese.

We also camped out in tents at the beginning of the week but we heard thunder at about 5am so had to frantically get all the kids up and call the camp directors to pick us up as it was pouring with rain and a storm was on it's way...not fun! 

The next day there was an 'all camp' which is when all the different groups in camp can join together and do a joint activity. This week it was Harry Potter themed so there was face painting and wand making and for dinner the dining hall was set out like Hogwarts, no floating candles though. I had my 6 hour break this day and me and some other girls went to the mall where I got a few pressies!

The next day was spent at the beach with our 30 kids and another group who had about 14 kids. This was a special day as we got to take a yellow school bus!!

The kids didn't understand why I was taking pictures and getting excited so they asked me what colour the english school buses were. I tried to explain to them about coaches, trains and general public transport but they just looked at me funny. I was also asked this week if I sneezed and laughed in a British accent. I said yes.

The next day we had a visitor from a country music singer who was pretty much a Taylor swift wannabe. She was actually quite good and kept the kids entertained for an hour or so which always helps. A Harry potter band also came this day and sung about Death Eaters, the Weasleys and Voldermort, they were very strange and over dramatic. Reminded me of a folk band you'd see at strawberry fair in Cambridge.

On Thursday I went tubing with 7 of my girls and Treble drove us, she's the waterfront director who is very sweet! Tubing is basically floating down a river in a rubber ring btw. This was nice and peaceful until your bum gets scraped against slimey rocks underneath and wedges you onto the bigger ones meaning you have to wiggle about every now and then. Was still fun though and meant we got out of camp for a bit!

On Friday the kids left one by one and we were told what unit we would be living in for the next two weeks and what programmes we would be doing. I put on my preference sheet that I would like the younger kids aged 5 and up as I hadn't had that age yet. Water rings were put in the lake and all the counsellors names were tied to them including what programme they would be doing. It was a boiling hot day too reaching 36 degrees so lots of counsellors went in and got the rings. I was told I'd be living in Whispering Winds for the next two weeks which is where I stayed the first week. (Just to remind you all cabins have different names that are located in different areas of the camp!) I was told that I'd be living with Leanne and Tash too and that the first week we'd have 5 girls in our group (makes a difference from 30!) aged 10 and their programme is called 'Team Spirit'. We get told what each programme need to do and what they should achieve by the end of the week so this week they will be doing lots of team building activities and will go to a high ropes course woo! I've been quite lucky with each group so far as I've always got to go on trips and don't have to pay! The week after will be two 4 day units for girls aged 5+! they'll either be really cute or will be up all night crying hmm.

So once everyone moved their luggage to the new cabins it was time for Break Weekendd!! Me and 8 other girls travelled to Canada and stayed there for a night and a day to see Niagra Falls. It took around 9 hours to get there and we travelled through the state of New York to get there (not the city bit) we were then questioned and treated like criminals when we got to the Canadian border as they asked us what we wanted to do there and when our flights home were, we felt really loved!... After a long night we were told our hotel room had been cancelled as we were so late but managed to find a nice place that gave free breakfast and wifi for $27 each for 2 big rooms with double beds. We were all very happy and amazed we actually made it!...so decided to jump on the beds like children haha.

The next day we changed up our money to Canadian dollars and walked down to the main strip.

It reminded me a bit of a seaside resort as it was very touristy with loads of restaurants and arcades, there was also a big Hersheys store, a Ripleys Believe It Or Not and loads of other things to see! Oh and Niagra Falls of course! We got on a huge boat around the waterfalls and got absolutely soaked as they took us closer. The boat ride was only $16 too. It was so amazing to see though and would recommend it to anyone!! There's also an American side to it that you can get a boat ride around but the Canadian side had more going on!

We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe and made our way back to the van. We passed a piercing place on the walk back and me, Emma and Adelaide got new piercings! I got a piercing on the top part of my ear, it's got a hoop in it atm (don't worry mum you will like it! :D) I was pretty scared though as I dont like needles in general but thought it'd be cool to get it done in Canada. It did hurt but wasn't unbearable :)

We made our way back to camp Saturday eve and arrived around 2am the next day. Sunday the kids arrived and we have had them for 2 days and they are little angels. There's only 5 of them which is also amazing! Have already done quite a lot with them this week but will write a separate blog at the end of the week explaining all!

Missing lots of my friends and family this week!! Only 3 and a half more weeks till I'm home :)

Love to you all!

Leanne, Sophie, Anna, Ellis, Adelaide, Emma and Me

Super Counselor :)

Hello all! This week i spent most of the time with 4 other counsellors and 22 young  excitable girls. We had a few problem children but they were alright once controlled! I have a load more bites as our cabin is surrounded by trees. Most of them are on my ankles which is horrible as I wear trainers most of the day and they rub like mad. I also have a few in my scalp which is rank!  Here are a few pics of what the unit looks like...  

  The cabin I stay in for 2 weeks with 4 other counselors

The campers cabins!

 A fire pit!

My messy bed...

Alex eating before bed...tut

The girls signed up for'Top Chefs' as their week programme so we made solar s'mores with them one day which I didn,t have a clue what they were either but it turns out they're chocolate and marshmellows in a cracker then wrapped in tin foil and left out in the sun to heat. They were nice and i think the squirell that ran off with a few enjoyed them too! We also made dessert ravioli which was pizza dough stuffed with more chocolate, marshmellows and fruit.

We have to camp out once a week with each group that comes so all of the girls have to put up and take down their tents which is a pain because we end up taking down most of them for the ones that can't do it. We just have a sleeping bag to sleep with too. No airbeds! haha :( I didn't sleep too bad though as I imagined I was sleeping on my living room floor as it was so flat!

There was also an hour slot this week called yoyos which means 'your own your own' so all counsellors can sign up to teach something that any child can go to. I decided to teach nail art! That went really well and the girls were fascinated by the 'barry m' shatter nail varnish that cracks as it dries. So most of them used that!

Our girls also cooked and prepared there own lunch which meant I had to make the fire!! ooh! I got the girls to go and find different types of wood so that I could keep it going. I have to admit that I did use a match BUT I still was able to keep it going!! And cooked mince over it! Yay me! After that I had a 6 hour break which I spent with Anna and Ellis at the public beach sunbathing and then had a shower which was amazing until I had to re-coat with bug spray!

At the end of the week we always have a closing campfire and throughout the week the girls can vote who they want to be 'Super Counsellor' and I was voted one this week along with 3 others! Woo go me!! I got the notes that the girls wrote about me and my favourite was...'She is so so nice. She always has a big smile on her face. She is pretty and I would really really like her to get this award. Me and a bunch of my friends would really like her to get it! When I go home I'm going to be sad' Haha aww!

Looking disgusting but I don't care! I was happy!

Next week will be with the same counselors and cabin but we will have 29 girls to keep alive this time!

I have also booked a 6 day trip to New York for after camp with about 7 other girls who are flying back to UK and also a trip to Niagra falls for the end of next week which will take about 8 hours to get to but will be a fun road trip!

Not sure when I'l next be able to update will prob be in another week which by then will be Matts birthday so I want to say Happy Birthdayy!!

Lots of love everyone! XxX

Week one...done!

Here's everything I did in my first week at Camp Chenoa!

Monday 4th July

Woke up early and took the girls to the parade in new Boston which was really nice to see. We then went to a small fair. We went back to camp and joined the rest of the campers with 4th July fun and a massive waterfight. Kellyanne decided to throw a bucket of water of me! Staff were making popcorn and corndogs for everyone so I had a bite of a corndog but didn't really like it! Took the girls swimming for a bit and then we went to dinner and then to a big campfire they did at camp where they handed our sparklers for everyone.

 

Tuesday 5th July

Today we went to a theme park called six flags it was AMAZING!! It was soo hot I had to walk under the fountain to cool off. We had pizza for lunch it was also huge! We stayed there till about 9pm and drove back it took 2 and a half hours. I was soo tired on the way back it was horrible trying to stay awake but I had to as kellyannes driving scares me haha.

Wednesday 6th July

Today we went to zip wiring about 2 hours away. It was soo much fun but it started raining and thundering on the last bit so we ran back to the trucks and went to get some ice cream instead haha.

Thursday 7th July

Today was a full day of camp! We woke up had breakfast then did boating, tyedying, archery, games, rock wall which I got half way up! We also went star gazing and ate marshmellows.

Friday 8th July

Today we got the girls up later and made sure they were packed and took them to brunch where most got picked up. Was nice seeing other girls' parents. Took the girls to the closing ceremony and then helped clean dif areas of camp. We were then told what our next unit would be by handing out kitchen utensils that matched with other counsellors. This week I am staying in sky dwellers and my program is top chef. So I'm guessing we'll be cooking lots with the kids aswel as doing other regular activities at camp. Afterwards we were free for the weekend yay! Well until the new kids come on Sunday.

Afterwards most people went to the mall and we had dinner there too. We also went to walmart and I got some camp essentials like a backpack a watch and some sweets :) I forgot bug spray though!! Got excited in Walmart because it's hugee and everythings so cheap!

Moved all my stuff to my new cabin which isnt too bad!

Me and Kellyanne

Saturday 9th July

Today most of the international staff went to the beach in Massachusetts whcih was 2 hours away. Everything is so far apart! It was really lovely and hot but the sea was freezing!! Counted my mosquito bites today and I have 23!! We spent most of the day there and then had more ice cream on the way home and i bought some insect repellent at last. Most of the girls are now in the staff house relaxing and watching DVDs. New kids come tomorrow and my group will be aged 9-11ish, theres 22 of them though!!

So I'm up to date now! Will be back when I have a spare moment!

Love to you all! XXXXX

Camp life!

Ok! So on Saturday we moved our luggage to our new cabins.

I was told Id be staying at the whispering winds cabin (each cabin has it's own name I'll be in this one for a week then swapping to a different next week!) and my unit was day trippers. So basically we get to choose wherever we want to go out of camp. Woo! Not everyone gets to do this.
This week we've decided that we'll go zip wiring, to six flags a huge theme park yay! We'll go to the beach, have a day at camp doing anything they want to experience. We'll also experience 4th July!

So all the new campers came yesterday and we have 12-14yr olds. I am working this week with 3 other girls, Kate kellyanne and tex. We will share the responsibilities of the 13 girls and make sure they are having a good time all the time! Later on some other counsellors came in our cabin to hand out midnight treats. They seriously think of everything here! I could easily get used to it. Everyone is really lovely here though and happy to answer any questions as I have a lot!

Today we took the girls to the beach and it poured most of the time so we got picked up and went for lunch. The dining hall here is huge. It was our groups turn to lay down cutlery etc for the breakfast this morning. Aftewards we had an hour or so of time to chill and do whatever. We then took the girls to the cinema and I watched monte Carlo with kellyanne and 10 other girls... It was crap. As it was kellyannes 21st birthday today she was able to drive the huge truck. Little bit scary as she'd never driven one before but it was fine until later on...Afterwards we went to a burrito place and I had a Thai one with steak it was amazing!! We headed back to camp which was a 30min drive. As we got closer to camp we saw lots of fireworks going off and also a police car secretly following us. We pulled over and he walked over and asked if we'd been drinking and where we were going. We acted innocently and he let us off. Apparently another driver reported us as kellyanne was swerving a bit. Tbh I think he was just bored! He let us off and I'm sitting in the staff house it's 10.45pm. Tomorrow is the 4th July and we will be going to a carnival and then back to camp for the fireworks. They spent $10.000 on fireworks so they should be good! 

XxxxxX