438, 290 Minutes, 438, 290 Moments So Dear

For the past ten summers, I have gone off the grid for all of July. I left my cell phone and boys at home and moved into a cabin with my best friends for the whole month. Camp Mystic is my home away from home and after 10 amazing months, it's over. 

My mom says that there is only one word to describe Mystic: "magical." Ten years ago, the only knowledge I had of this magical place was the stories my mom told me about her time as a camper. Now, I have all my own memories and I agree with her. I have decided that the only way to describe it is in fact, magical. 

The things that make Mystic my home away from home are not the activities, fun tribe games, or even the amazing food. The reason Mystic is my favorite place on Earth is because of the relationships I have made there. 

My camp friends are my best friends. We have all laughed and cried together. Some of us cried more than others(I cried 56 times). Every moment spent with these girls has shaped me into who I am today. Some people are lucky enough to have a few close friends, but I'm blessed to call 27 girls, who are all beautiful inside and out, my best friends. 

These are my Safaraides!

This past summer was the best term out of my 10 years. It was our final year as a camper and that means we were called the Aides. We were constantly working and truly had very little time to rest. Our job consisted of the following: leading our tribes together, being elected as officers, waiting tables, and overall being leaders of the camp. While that seems like a lot of work-it honestly was-it was worth every second. Even though we were going 24/7, my cabinmates and I grew closer than ever. 

Sunday calls for our fancy aprons!

I was the scribe for my tribe, and a quick humble brag, I was pretty good at it. Writing minutes for every tribe hill was actually kind of stressful but nothing could have prepared me for signing tribe letters. I never expected all the hours spent writing a name, date, and "B.L.A.S.T." on 201 felt letters would be so rewarding. When I signed the last letter, I felt so accomplished. Finally, my favorite memory of being the scribe was when I finished presenting the final minutes to the tribe. I had finished my routine circle around the fire and said my favorite part of the minutes "are there any additions or corrections to the minutes, then the minutes stand as read!" My entire tribe stood around me and RAHed me. I know my non-camp people have zero idea what RAHs are; let's just say it's pretty cool. Knowing that all the work I put in during the term was appreciated was so fulfilling. 

We Scribin.

Nightly devotionals every single night can seem weird to people, but one of the Mystic ideals is to grow spiritually; the best way to do that is growing with your friends by your side. Our counselors were the best examples of faith we could have asked for. They poured their souls into helping us grow closer to each other and closer to God. I am so thankful that they were part of our final year. 

Our counselors all worked together to make this term the best, and it really was. CC helped us so much with the quickly approaching fear of college and rush. Mary was my musical theatre buddy and our performances of She Used To Be Mine will forever be some of my favorite memories from camp. Ginna, who has been our counselor for three years, is one of my biggest role models. I am so blessed to have spent this time with them and they each have a very special place in my heart. 

These were my moms for all of July!

The activity everyone is most excited for during their aide year is Cooking with Tweety. Every week we created a new meal-Italian, Mexican, Ladies Brunch, and Greek. Homemade bruschetta topped with Mystic grown tomatoes, lemon velvet ice cream, sausage crescent nuggets, and so much more. Let's just say, I have never eaten so much delicious food in my whole life. It was always the best way to spend Tuesday morning. 

Beehive looks like a country cooking show!

After cooking, we had Aide's Bible Study. Getting to have a deep conversation about the confusing topic of faith is so special and we did have the best bible study counselors. We chose to study the women of the bible and there are so many interesting bits of information in the stories of Hagar, Esther, and Ruth that makes the story so much more than what it appears to be on paper. I feel as though that is such an important way to look at many things. We all know the saying, "you can't judge a book by its cover," and the bible is a perfect example. There is so much more once you look inside. 

Let me talk once more about how much I love every single girl in my cabin. These past 10 years would not have been as memorable as they were without the girls beside me. They have grown up with me and we all went through our awkward phases of life together. The most wonderful feeling is knowing that, even though it was our last year as campers, we will still go through life's moments together. I have formed such strong bonds with every girl in my cabin and I'm so excited for the memories we will continue to make as we take on senior year, being ettes, and college. Camp Mystic has created a sisterhood that I am truly so lucky to be part of. 

As the song goes, "started from the bottom...

MY BOB WAS NOT IT!

now we here!"

Aide's Day Off 2019!

I dedicate this blog post first and foremost to God, for He created Mystic and its magical features. Second to the Eastlands for opening the green gates to us for the past ten summers and the more to come. Third to my parents for forcing me to go when I was 8 and allowing me to keep going as I continued to fall in love with Mystic year after year. Fourth to my 27 Safaraides, the best friends ever. And last but absolutely not least, to our counselors for putting up with us for a whole month and demonstrating what a true leader looks like. 

Thank you Camp Mystic for 10 unforgettable and truly magical summers.

Just a few pictures to smile at!