A Day in the Life

Oh, hey y'all. I've been absent, huh? It's busy over here. Exhausting. Exhilerating. And, it's almost over. Tomorrow is the last day of camp. It's bittersweet, really. I'll be back to a regular posting schedule soon, but I thought you might like to see what's been keeping me away from you these past months.

What is being a camp director like, you might ask? It must be so fun hanging out with the campers and watching them learn and grow... It is. SO FUN. But it's also a LOT of work. Obviously, I don't do it alone. My staff takes a lot of the brunt because they're on the front lines with the kids, in the heat, all the time. They're there for the whining, the homesickness, the *real* sickness, the arguing and the glitter spills.

Me? I do behind-the-scenes work. I talk to parents, talk to my boss, do paperwork related to everything {food, medicine, money, etc.} and generally pitch in to make sure everything gets done.

Here's what that looks like:

6:30 am: Wake-Up {most mornings}
6:45 am:  Go to pool with other staff and swim 500 meters {if I'm lucky}
7:20 am:  Back from the pool. Rinse off, change, get ready for flag ceremony
7:45 am: Flag ceremony {love!}
8:00 am: Breakfast: Talk to homesick campers, answer questions, monitor food line for issues, etc.
9:00 am: Answer parent e-mails
9:30 am: Consult with nurse about injuries or illnesses
10:00 am: Meeting with Facilities Manager
10:30 am: More parent e-mails, fax paperwork to supervisors
11:00 am: Injury! Head to archery with emergency vehicle, find out it's a false alarm
11:15 am: Send field trip off to science museum
11:30 am: Can't find lunches for field trip. Run to kitchen to investigate.
11:40 am: Field trip finally gone!
11:50 am: Parent calls with questions about the website.
12:00 pm: Lunch. Hallelujah.
12:30 pm: Homesick camper visits my office. Console her, encourage her to make friends, ask her about new fun things she's doing.
1:00 pm: Parent e-mails again.
1:30 pm: Homesick camper is back. Talk about cost of camp, parents wish for her to have fun.
2:00 pm: Missing staff member. Try to find out where she is.
2:05 pm: Staff member was lost off camp. She takes mail back to her campers
2:15 pm: Head to Starbucks for "alone" time.
4:00 pm: Back at camp. Homesick camper came back twice while I was gone.
4:30 pm: Told homesick camper that she needs to *want* to have fun or she'll be miserable.
5:00 pm: Allergic reaction in the infirmary. Consult with nurse, send her with camper to the ER, call parents of camper.
5:30 pm: Clogged sink in a craft room. Toilet not working in a dorm. Attempt to fix both and succeed with the toilet {which was gross, btw}
6:00 pm: Dinner: Get hug-attacked by 20 nine-year olds
7:00 pm: Parent arrives to pick-up sick camper from earlier
7:30 pm: Sick staff member. Re-work sleeping arrangements to cover the unit.
8:00 pm: Indoor campfire! Help make s'mores for 125 campers and 25 staff {I feel like Lucy from the chocolates episode}
8:30 pm: Wash baking sheets from s'mores
8:45 pm: Camper reported for being mean to others. Put on "stern" face to chat with camper.
9:00 pm: Homesick camper calls mom on illicit cell-phone. Mom calls office.
9:30 pm: Homesick camper goes home.
10:00 pm: Night security missing. Call police department dispatch.
10:20 pm: Night security arrives.
10:30 pm: Sleep {usually with my Kindle in my hand}.
11:00 pm: Woken by Nurse. Camper with a high fever.
11:10 pm: Call camper's parents, determine that fever is probably due to dehydration. Have camper sleep in infirmary with buddy, give tylenol, promise to call parents back in the morning.
11:20 pm: Sleep, again {no kindle this time!}.

I love it. I'll be happy for some rest. I'll miss it. And, I have many adventures ahead!