Camp Kudzu 2011 - Part 2: The staff ~ Exile From Conformity

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Camp Kudzu 2011 - Part 2: The staff

2:00 PM

(Me and AJ)

There's always so much more to camp than the kids, which I know is admitting that in part it's not their journey, but coming back year after year to see the staff does make all the difference. They've become some of my best friends, my favorite people and more. Aly, my co-counselor was in my wedding two years ago even. Sometimes I only see them at camp, but it's worth it for the single week.

(Aly and Megan)

(AJ)

They are inspiring people who either do great things or have come from so little to be so much. I'm so proud of all of them, not just because of what they are but who they are. There are few people in the world as awesome as these people. I feel honored to be in their presence let alone work with them and call them my friends.

This year was a big year for new friends. AJ, who I remember as a camper and CIT, and someone I'd decided long before now was way cooler than I was, and I actually got to be friends. It started with asking about his shirt during staff icebreaker games and finding out it was the logo for Pete Wentz' (of Fall Out Boy fame) clothing line. More chatter had me going on about my tattoo (I'd gotten the day before) with Bryan's handwriting and we realized we like a lot of the same music. The more we talked the more we realized we are a lot alike and halfway through the week we were camp bffs and had my campers asking awkward questions about us. Not that it matters I was stoked to call the guy my friend, even now we keep in touch via twitter and texts. (He's got a band he's playing with now and once I have something to share I will.)

(AJ and Bethany)

We all look forward to our end of camp "post-camp meeting" where the staff gets together for drinks and camp songs and general fun. This year we had a ton of former campers who were staffers, which makes it even better. These are kids who grew up together, working together now as adults. Just a really awesome thing to be immersed in. (That and I know the top pediatric endocrinologists in Atlanta by name.)