write to you in minnesota!

Tonight is my last night at home.

I leave my house tomorrow morning at 8:00 to fly out of Orlando at noon. 

I cannot wait.

I don't know when the next time will be that I can update, but I want to try and blog more this summer than I did last summer. I'll be using this to send out general updates on how I'm doing, what God is doing in my life and teaching me, and talking about the cute kids I encounter throughout the summer, of course.

If you are looking for a way to pray while I'm in Minnesota, pray for traveling mercies for tomorrow. That everything goes smoothly, and all of my bags make it to MN the first time around. Pray for strength, health and energy beyond my own will power. Pray for safety (this is actually a big one, because I hurt myself and fell down a lot last summer, and am still feeling the pain to this day.) Pray that I stand on my own two feet the whole time, literally. And pray for peace. I've done this whole thing before, but I'm still going to be far away from home, and I'm still going to miss my family a ton. Lastly, pray for my mom. This is the first time that she will have all of her kids away from home for this long. Thank you in advance for your prayers. I appreciate them all, and know that they will help get me through this good adventure.

how i'm feeling.

I've been trying to remember I felt around this time last year.
One week before I left home.
I can't remember, though.

I guess I thought leaving home for a few months a second time would be easier, but honestly, I might be just as scared as I was the first time. When I found out that I was going back I thought the whole thing would be a piece of cake. Wrong! I've been trying to mentally prepare myself for the past month or so. Reminding myself of the extreme exhaustion that takes place at camp, the frustration, the thing that aren't so glamorous about the job, so it doesn't come as a shock to me when I get there. I remember how much effort it took to walk up those stairs at the end of the summer. I remember the muscles that hurt in places I didn't even know I had muscles! I remember the bruises that I was covered in from head to toe. The campers that test you in every way imaginable. I remember the things that are less glamorous.

But I also remember the more glamorous side of the job, too.
(Yeah, right...camp is glamorous? ;-)

The lives that you can see being changed right before your eyes. The laughter that you share with your fellow counselors. Experiencing a campers first time away from home with them. Receiving letters from home, and knowing that people are caring about and thinking of you. Watching your cabin become one for a week, and watching your campers look out for each other. When a camper gets 'it'. The excitement on the campers faces when they arrive at camp on Sunday. The excitement on your face when they leave on Friday. (Not to be confused with unglamorousness.) Weekends of rest, laughter and adventure. Getting to live life in such a beautiful place. The starry nights. The sound of the lake as you walk across camp. The quietness of it all in the morning. The sunset over the lake every night and how it's like a canvas.

I suppose I have more to look forward to than to fear, and I know it's where I'm supposed to be, but it's always nice to be reminded that you can't get too comfortable. You can't take things for granted, and you should never rely on yourself.

I know this summer won't be the same as last. It will be its own in its own unique way. Because of that, I know that I will learn new things from the trials and triumphs I go through, the people I meet, and the things I experience. I'm so grateful that I get to embark on this good adventure one last time, but I'm also grateful that I have one more week left at home. I will cherish and treasure every second of my time here, and I will get around to packing. Eventually...