This past week was pretty good. Still stressing over end-of-the-year stuff but the overall vibe of the week was better especially as Friday approached.
Right Now:
Guys, I am completely psyching myself out. This time next week, I will be on a bus full of high schoolers going to summer camp. I’ve done it before, but you may recall that I had a back injury the last time. An injury that happened as I was putting my heavy suitcase on the bus! A slipped disc, metal bunk beds and no drugs in sight made for a very long week. Amazing things happened that week, but me surviving was one of them.
I do not want a repeat of that experience but as you know, my health has been dicey these past few months and I am worried about my ability to keep up. It’s so physical and I am not competitive at all. Amazing Race type activities do not agree with my body.
Please think good thoughts for me. Pray for me, if you do that. I would appreciate it. I am a little overwhelmed by all that needs to be done before I leave too.
This Week:
I will be preparing for the trip but my daughter is also starting her online summer classes while school is still in session. I have to take this week to make sure she can access what she needs before I am gone for a week with no signal and no Wi-Fi.
I am not a good packer, which is why my suitcase weighed so much the last time. But we have to bring stuff to decorate the cabin, costumes and the like. I mean, I need a lot of stuff for a trip like this and I have yet to purchase any of it.
Reading:
I finished No Exit by Taylor Adams. The review will be up later this week but man, was it a page-turner!
Now, I am reading Pachinko by Min Jin Lee for a discussion group later this month. It’s been out for quite some time, but it’s really very good. Pulled me in right away.
Watching:
After watching All in the Family / The Jeffersons Live last week, we’ve been binge watching The Jeffersons non-stop. I had forgotten how great that show was.
New Things I’ve Tried:
I don’t have brands to share yet because I am in a try-me phase, but I’ve started to use facial oils with retinol. It’s weird to put OIL on my face since I’ve always battled oily skin but it seems like a lot of these retinol treatments are in oil and for some reason, my skin is loving them. At this age, my skin feels dead. Not a good feeling so I am hoping the retinol jump-starts cell growth.
Grateful for:
I am grateful for another opportunity to do camp but also pretty terrified. Plus, my daughter won’t be with me this time (with all the stuff she has going this summer) and it feels weird.
Did you ever go to summer camp as a teen?
Book Chatter 
Good luck with your week at camp; I never went to camp as a kid. curious about No Exit; I’ll wait for your review.
I hope the camping trip goes well. I am not a good packer either – I always take waaaay too much stuff.
I loved Pachinko! I was lucky enough to hear the author speak and she is so smart and talented – if she ever comes your way you need to go see her.
I hope to finish Pachinko before I leave for camp. I am really liking the story.
Hi Tina, this is the first time I’ve read your blog and I really enjoyed it. First, I will definitely pray for you to be in good health while at camp. Keeping up with teens is hard enough, throw in health challenges and that’s tough. Secondly I was lucky enough to grow up attending camp. While in elementary school I attended various day camps and from age 10-13 I attended a one month sleep away camp affiliated with the Judaic organization Hadassah. I have amazing memories from this time, and am so glad for these experiences.
I seriously think you are the bravest person I know! Camp? No WiFi? I couldn’t do it! I spent 3 months in North Carolina as a playground director. Which meant I babysat kids of all ages while their parents went off to have fun. It was a family camp for all ages but I loved it. At night we would all meet in this huge recreation room for music and clogging lessons! I was always known as the banker’s daughter because I had no accent!
It’s the physical stuff that kills me. I am not competitive at ALL and do not like to be knocked down and run over. I like to have spirit but it intimidates me.
Even with all my challenges last time, it was life changing. I mean, begging for Advil on the lake was a low point for me but it was funny too.
I’m confused about the camp. Is it for the kids or is it for you? If you’re a counselor, why do you have to do all the things? Aren’t you one of the supervisors? “Here, go play.” 🙂
It’s for the students but all the leaders have to participate and go up against other teams. I won’t even be with my own church. They match you with other churches. I thought junior high was crazy but high school activities are on steroids apparently. I will join in where I can but I will for sure end up hurt if I try something more ambitious.
Don’t overdo it! Take Advil with you! Pray! 🙏😇😀
I hope camp goes well and you remain healthy throughout. I read No Exit and thought it was really good as well. Can’t wait to see your review!
This weekend, please think good thoughts for me as I leave for camp because I am not feeling that great at the moment.
Definitely sending good thoughts your way!
My fingers are crossed that camp goes well for you and that you are healthy throughout. I’m sure it will be a lot of fun and that you will be able to keep up 🙂 I never went to camp – we couldn’t afford it when I was growing up, so I went to summer school, I always thought it was the best, because it was a more relaxed version of school – plus, all of my friends went, too. Hope you have a great week and that you remember to pack everything you need for camp. I can’t wait to see what you thought of No Exit. I have a copy of Pachinko on my shelf – I’ll read it one day.
I am still a little nervous about camp. Primarily my ability to keep up. It’s so strenuous! People don’t think so but I don’t do well with forced participation when it comes to Amazing Race type activities. Give me a trivia challenge or a puzzle. LOL.
Good luck with the camp experience… this year should be better, right? Pachinko was my favorite book last year. Hope you love it, too.
Should be better. I know the girls in my cabin. I don’t plan to throw my back out right before I go. I need to escape for a little bit with all this end of the year school stress. It will be weird to not have my daughter with me this time but she has two classes at the junior college this summer.
I never went to summer camp as a teen. But I hope you don’t injure yourself this time.
Me too. Especially not by putting my luggage on the bus.
Wow that photo of Hume Lake is very pretty. How long does it take in a bus to get there? It would be nice if they gave you time to read by the lake. I went to summer camp just one time in my youth … it was in Fresno called the Bob Mathias camp – ever heard of it? I think it still exists. I will cross my fingers it won’t terrible for you. Maybe it’ll be better than you think? hope so
Camp is actually a very rewarding experience. It’s just the recreation piece that gives me fits. I am SO motivated to contribute but physically, can’t handle what they require (most of the time). Belly flops from 20 feet high is not something I am interested in.
I have not heard of that camp. I just Googled it. Apparently it’s called Hye Camp now. Hume Lake is not too far. Maybe a four hour drive? I could be a little off on that because last time we stopped for lunch. This time we are shooting straight though so it won’t be that long.