Olivia was SOOOOO excited to finally get the car loaded up with her gear for camp. All she had left to pack were her toothbrush and hair brush, which we somehow managed to forget when we left our house a few minutes before 5 this morning.
I woke up at 4am (really, it felt like I never went to sleep - had crazy camp dreams all night long) and Olivia was in my bathroom just before 4:30 all hyped up and ready to go. We picked up Kit and her mom at 5am to hit the road to Brevard. The girls talked NON-STOP! We tried to get breakfast at McDonalds because the girls insisted they were starving. For once, we thought Harbison Boulevard wouldn't be crowded (it wasn't), but the McDonalds was not open either. We headed on up the road until we saw some golden arches that were lit up.
As we drove onto the camp, we were greeted by Senior campers. They told us what cabin the girls were in and radioed up to let them know we were coming. We were all greeted by name, unloaded the car, and went to the dining hall to be checked in. Olivia had to get a Rockbrook shirt and red tie to wear to chapel on Sundays. Kit was all set because her two older sisters were dropped off at camp last weekend. They were checked in by the nurse and I turned over my credit card number so that Olivia can get 'necessities' at the camp store. (I don't think they sell anything too interesting, certainly not candy. But, if she runs out of shampoo, toothpaste, etc., she can get some.)
The cabins are oh-so-rustic. The camp is almost 90 years old and I do believe that these are the original cabins - the only addition each year is the name of each camper on the walls/bunks. They have screens on the windows, no A/C or electricity and the bathroom is a short walk away. The cabin will hold 8 girls and 2 counselors, but is divided into two sections. Olivia's side will only have 3 girls so she will be well-taken care of and watched over. Kit is a friend from school and they were on the same soccer team both seasons last year. I'm not sure Olivia would have been as excited if she weren't going with a friend.
I'm not exactly sure how it works, but their counselor, Nicole, told us that this is 'their lodge.' The bathrooms (which are even more rustic than the cabins - no counter-top at all, just a trough with soap dispensers and spigots) are part of the lodge. Nicole said they will have meetings in the lodge, I'm assuming it's where they'll sign up for chores, activities and maybe plan their skit. She also said their cabin has the best view - I believe her!
Olivia in front of the fireplace in the lodge.
One last picture before saying good-bye. Nicole was happy to pose with the girls before we parted ways. They were headed to meet the horses and wait for the rest of the mini-session campers to arrive to greet them. Olivia is like me in that she prefers to be somewhere first so that she can get settled and find her way around. She was in heaven because we were the very first campers to arrive this morning.
Saying good-bye wasn't too hard; Olivia wasn't the least bit concerned with my leaving so it was hard for me to be anything but excited for her. I can't wait to hear from her (IF she has time to write home, which she doesn't think she will) and hear how it's going. I've already mailed her a letter and dropped a postcard in the mail today on the way home. She knows that they're not allowed to receive packages, but I did manage to find a dollar store to buy her hairbrush and detangling spray to drop back by the camp before I headed home.
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