Here comes the rain: A day in the life of a waterfront staff at Kalalla 2018
6:30 – wake up to the sound of rain. Hope it’s just the trees dripping. Decide to do polar bear dip anyway.
6:45 – wake up campers with enthusiasm!
7:00 – stand in light rain as campers arrive at waterfront. Encourage them that it’s not that cold. Campers realize it’s not that cold.
7:30 – convince campers to get out of the water, since they’re having so much fun!
8:10 – walk with purpose up the hill, since we’re going to be late for breakfast again.
8:15 – enjoy an amazing breakfast (thanks, Kitchen Staff!), sing Good Morning to the campers
8:45 – it’s time for “Announcements”!
9:00 – have a quick staff meeting, where we hear that it’s going to rain all day. Decide to keep waterfront open unless it thunderstorms.
9:30 – Units 4 and 5 are late again…
9:45 – Tip Unit 4 out of kayaks – I mean, teach them wet exits…
10:10 – Unit 5 finally arrives for swimming.
11:30 – Unit 6 walkies down to say they’re not coming because they’re tired of being wet. Unit 2 appears out of the woods after a hike in the rain, ready for their swim.
12:00 – encourage campers and staff to head up the hill.
12:15 – continue to encourage campers and staff to head up the hill. Miss singsong.
12:25 – Remember that it’s a theme day – make up a costume on the way up for lunch, and realize we’re late again.
12:30 – eat a delicious lunch
1:25 – sing “Announcements” again!
1:30 – it’s HHH! If only Units 1 and 2 were as excited about it as we are… Fall asleep anyway because the sound of rain drowns them out.
2:20 – wake up to the sound of thunder. Close waterfront. Plan alternate activities and walk with purpose to share the information with the other counsellors.
2:30 – wait eagerly for campers to come for games and nail painting. No one comes because they are all still singing and laughing loudly in their cabins. Plan regatta instead.
3:00 – receive confirmation that units are not going to be coming. Join units to help out with crafts and DT. Such fun!!!
5:15 – get ready for dinner. Realize that my raincoat is down at waterfront. Improvise.
5:30 – be on time for a meal! Discover that Unit 4 has planned a Quelf meal. Quietly capture all campers with my hypnotic stare, especially the ones who bark. Secretly envy Unit 3 who are eating with funny utensils.
6:25 – and more “Announcements”
6:30 – help with jumping. Enjoy the singing!
7:25 – rearrange benches so we can have vespers inside, because it is still raining.
7:35 – listen to the inspiring and reflective words spoken by Unit 3.
8:00 – it’s talent show time! Watch in amazement as girls go up, individually or in groups, and sing, play, or dance. Staff are funny too.
9:00 – have a snack
9:30 – go outside to do taps on the deck because it has briefly stopped raining. I think I even saw a star peek through! But that could have been wishful thinking.
10:00 – get ready for bed, plan for tomorrow, chat with other staff
10:30 – fall asleep, listening to the sound of rain on the metal cabin roof. So peaceful! Can’t wait to do it all again tomorrow!
Reading this made me very homesick for camp! It was a very accurate portrayal of Kalalla 2018 (except I was thinking maybe the staff contributions to the talent show were a bit under-sold in your description?) And it makes me laugh that, even though I live in the rainy UK, I saw WAAAAAY more rain in a week at camp than I had in the previous ten months in England! Good thing the staff and the campers were too busy having fun making friends, singing, (and spooning the waterfront staff in for being late to meals…?) to notice. Maybe 2019 will be a bit drier… can’t wait to find out.