I didn’t get lost on the way to KBY per say, but I did have some trouble getting there.
I made this mosaic as part of a craft project, and I'm pretty pleased with it!
I made it to the camp gates without issue, but once there, I found myself unable to get in! The gates were locked, and I was supposed to call to have the gates unlocked. BUT, my phone wasn’t getting service! So, I turned around to retrace my steps until I found service. There was a touristy area about 15 minutes back, and I figured I’d get there, get cell service, call the camp and inform them of the situation, and then drive back no biggie. But YES BIGGIE! Because I drove back, and still no service! So I kept driving. After about 30 minutes, I was freaking out a bit. See, I HAD BARS, but my calls weren’t going through. So I started to panic thinking my phone was broken. Around this point, I also wasn’t sure whether or not I was lost. I’ll spare you the details, but after an hour, I was a hot mess. But THEN! THANK THE LORD! SERVICE!!! I swear to GOD! I have NEVER been so relieved to see the letters “LTE” in MY LIFE!!! With a HUGE shoutout to DPF Mission Director Brian Frederick-Gray, I was able to alert the camp to my existence, and find my way back. Unfortunately, the detour meant I didn’t have time to nap that day. Tragic.
Now here’s the REAL KICKER: turns out there was a doorbell-like apparatus on the gate, so I could’ve just gotten out of my car, walked around the gate, and someone would’ve known I was there. -_-
Once at Camp Kum Ba Ya, however, I felt immediate relief. Jamie, the director, was there to greet me, and expressed much needed sympathy for my hardship! I shortly met the other counselors and staff, and we played a hilarious game from the 80’s called “Therapy” to get to know one another. Everyone was immensely welcoming, and I was able to get a good night’s rest!
This was the fastest moving caterpillar I've ever seen! WKDH had a whacky caterpillar too! I swear! It's an alien invasion!
I won’t lie. The first two days at KBY were a bit rough. It was excruciatingly hot, there were bugs EVERYWHERE, two separate ER trips, and a serious incident. I was pretty dang stressed those first 48-72 hours! However, by the end of the 3rd day, things began to settle. Almost all of the campers were good humored and kind. I didn’t have much trouble exercising authority, and there were camp pranks every day and funny cabin clean ups that always lifted my spirits and made me laugh! My fellow counselors were wonderfully supportive! We were all EXTREMELY busy, but we had a good check in everyday at the counselor meeting, and that was really nice. I ended up taking over crafts in the last half of the week, and that was an adventure! It’s funny—though not at all surprising—how people seem far more willing to open up and talk over crafts than in a workshop.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the lake. It was lovely! I did not swim in it, but I did walk in it once, and I enjoyed watching the water. The breeze and the sound of the tiny waves was always very soothing. It was my first time at a camp with a lake, and I’m a fan! I also wanted to give a shoutout to Sugar Bear for building the legit BEST campfires I’ve ever seen! They were MIGHTY! Someone really ought to gift him some fire tongs or something for Christmas, for a number of reasons…
Thank you for having me Camp Kum Ba Ya! I appreciated all the laughs and the good conversations! Seeing all the campers and counselors joke around and have fun was very uplifting. Thank you for the support. Thank you for the experience. Thank you for the joy!
Instead of a senior banquet, we opted to do a Beach Party At KBY! It was super fun and very well received by the campers! We had glow sticks and night swimming, plus we roasted hot dogs and s'mores! (Which was actually kinda horrible because it was over 90 degrees, and the fire was HOT!! But it tasted great!)
Here's the Counselor Photo for KBY! Thank you all for always making sure to regularly check in with me and each other!