Ever since I moved away from the Daniel Ward, I have missed it tremendously. I took it all for granted and I long to return to my real home and the ward I grew up in with all my friends and some of the people who made me into the woman I am today. Anyway, I ventured with these lovely young woman and the gracious leaders to camp on June 14th to the 18th. And this is what happened:
Tuesday:
I expected everyone to be at Jamie Gould's-the camp director- house at 8:30 am and we would leave ten minutes afterward. One hour later, we loaded into the cars and departed. There was only three girls, including myself, in the car with our young woman's president. We sang and listened to stories that Marti told us. It was fun. Before Price, we saw a sign that said "Come to Helper to get a free piece of history!" This was very tempting because we stopped in the ghetto little town and found the museum-after taking a picture with a giant mining statue-only to find a wannabe Indian woman in the one room museum. The free history was a piece of coal. This was disappointing. She only gave us one and Hannah wanted one so Marti turned around and she and her daughter both went in. Seconds later, they came running out. The lady followed and stood there all angry, probably thinking they had stolen. Supposedly she was not in there so they just took three bags and left.
We finally caught up with everyone in Wellington. Our car did not want to stop to eat lunch, but we were overruled. We went to a park and Marti wanted to park in the shade so she drove down the wrong lane to park. Before we got out of the car, a cop pulled in front of us,
jumped out and started screaming. He had an intimidating moustache and was just plain mean. Yes, we broke the law, but honestly what gave him the right to call us stupid and tell us to leave before he did something he would regret? We left a hour later.
After more stories and music, we arrived at a gas station. We thought we were just stopping for gas. Little did we know what was where we were actually staying. It was the most ghetto thing ever. Arlynn cleverly named it "Satan's Playground". Which it was. The red sand and dirt filled the air, it was so hot and cactus and sagebrush were the only green. We set up camp and made the voyage halfway to the city of Moab to play at a giant sand hill. It was huge and you only can see that when you start climbing. You can run as hard as you can and not move an inch. We went back to camp and had homemade Cafe Rio for dinner. That night would be my best night of sleep. I had a dream my mother got sick and woke up missing her more than I ever have before.
Wednesday:
Kinesha, Arlynn, and I went and showered at four in the morning
and it felt glorious. We went back to bed and then I was forced to wake up early to make breakfast. I don't even remember what we had. We made the hour journey to the Monticello temple. It is a small temple and is beautiful. We were late though because we stopped to help a couple with their flat tire. One of the leaders actually gave them pass along cards which was cool. We got to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. I don't really like doing these ordinances because I feel uncomfortable in the clothes and I hate getting completely wet in water. But as I sat and looked into the font, I realized I had been doing it for all the wrong reasons. I was an overall good experience. Next to the temple is a church and that is where we ate lunch because a leader's uncle is the president of the temple and pulled a few strings for us.
We went back to camp and changed and then went to a music park in Moab. Everything is enlarged and you can play music. Then we did some certifications for the younger girls and made a bracelet. During the craft I was staring at nothing and a kid walked by the pavilion we were at and waved with a big ole grin on his face. I just started and looked away. I felt bad for not waving back but it was a little shocking. I'm sure he got over it eventually.
We went back to camp and had dinner when all of a sudden it got blustery. Then unbelievably windy. It passed, but then the sand storm came. It was fierce and strong. At least 80 mph winds and red sand all in the face. I closed my eyes for brief seconds and when I opened them, everyone was gone. I ran to my tent and held it down with all my might. Five minutes later it stopped. I then realized that Abby and Arlynn were holding the tent from behind. But it was no use, the tent was thrashed, poles broken in half and everything. I could have been seriously hurt. When it got dark, we watched the movie 'Tangled'. That night, Kinesh and I slept in the mixed tent and that was a hard night's sleep. I slept on a flashlight all night and it was uncomfortable.
Thursday:
River trip! This was my favorite day. We ate quickly and had to wait two hours until we could go rafting. We drove the fifteen minutes to the Moab Adventure Center and went in. We lined up to get life jacket fitted and something happened and I said that I was frazzled and a cute, young guy looked at me and laughed. I smiled at him and went on my way to the bus. Kaeli and I sat next to each other and the guy I made laugh got on the bus. It took a half hour to get to the river but we made it after a lot of annoying singing. My raft consisted of Lorie, Marti, Kinesha, Rachel, Maddie, Hannah and Myself along with our guide who was...SURPRISE! the guy I made laugh. His name was Cort, short for Cortney. He was a returned missionary, going to BYU. I made sure I told him I was eighteen and going to Westminster in the fall. We stopped for lunch on the river and the rapids were a lot of fun. I made a lot of jokes and let my sarcasm show and he seemed to think I was funny. At lunch there was this guy who came up to Marti and said he liked her shirt so we said he was hitting on her. Anyway, Cort was so funny! He made up all these stories that were total lies but he was great. At one point he said we would Rodeo. I didn't want to but we did. We all go in the back of the raft and he pulled the bow up high so we were at an angle. Another raft came up and we stopped. Then Cort said we should do it again. I once again didn't want to but we did. So Cort pulled and we got so high, then the other guide on the raft pushed us and we all fell into the water. I was peeved.
We continued down the Colorado River and came upon Eddies which are basically whirlpools. I was rowing and all of a sudden my oar was being pulled away and I almost fell in, but I was not going in without a fight and pulled away. Cort laughed and said he thought for sure I was going in. I said not voluntarily, referring to the Rodeo and he laughed. There was a lot of teasing and banter which was fun. When it was all over, we loaded the bus and four guides came on with us, including Cort. I sat by Kaeli and was telling her all about him! It was great. Then he was handing out Otter Pops and we hit a bump and he like fell into my lap. I said 'Jeez Cort, still trying to kill me!' He laughed and shook his butt in my face and basically gave me a lap dance! I DIED!!!!!! We got back and I told Marti I was in love, along with Kinesha, but let's face it, I have the better chance, and we all ran in to the center to get a picture with him, but he was gone.
We went back to camp and came to find out that the laurel tent collapsed again! So Rob took us up to his trailer and we watched a movie and had girl talk and vegged out and ate. It was great. Then we went back to camp and we had two tents up. One to sleep in and one to keep all our stuff. Then we got ready for skits and performed, ate and the laurels went to go make the bear call. It is a can with a wet shoe lace in it and when you pull it, it makes a bear noise. After the devotional we went on a snipe hunt and lost Hannah and Rach and Kinesha got bit by a snipe and Megan took her back and younger girls were skeptical but kinda into it. We would throw rocks into the field next to us and they would jump. We also had Jamie tell them there were some bear sighting and people hunted bears there. So a lie. I don't think bears could even live in that desert environment. So I took the girls back and at the entrance Kinesha and Megan pulled the string a couple of times and when the girls heard it, they took off running like there was no tomorrow. I have never seen them run so fast. It turned out Kinesha walked into a barbed wire fence where she said the snipe bit her. Arlynn, Abby and I walked behind our camp ground and rustled the trees and tent and pulled the sting and then walked out and the joke was over. They were kind of upset but everyone was fine afterwards. Han and Rach were still missing but it was just a continuation of the joke, they were fine. That night was a rough sleep.
Friday:
We ate and then went to Arches National Park to hike up to Delicate Arch. I felt so sick and had awful cramps and felt like I was going to throw up. It didn't help it was so hot and there were so many people. I made it up the mile and half steep hike though and we took pictures. I didn't eat lunch, just tried to nap. One girl lost their water bottle and a beehive ran after it and almost went off the cliff. That made me even more sick. On the way back down, some girls along with a leader went off the trail and got stuck on a cliff and I couldn't stand there so I continued down by myself. That was a good choice. It felt really good to walk by myself. It was astounding how many people from around not only the nation but the world visit the park. I mean the arch was really cool, but not cool enough to come around the world to see it. I have never heard so much French in my life. I was the first one off the trail and still felt sick when we left. We stopped at Balance Rock, but Kinesha and I were too tired to see a rock, I mean I had a perfect view from the front seat of the car, so that is where we stayed.
We got back to camp and I took some medication and felt a lot better. We widdled in some soap and I made a Pegasus. There was a lot of laughing and soap shavings everywhere. Then when the wind started blowing I began to make a scrapbook, but all the embellishments were taken into a tent so they wouldn't blow away so I didn't get any.
At one point, Abby and I were in out storage tent writing in our journals and the beehives raided us and tied bras and pants together and threw underwear all over the tent. The laurels were so mad. We made a truce until after testimony meeting. The meeting itself was really good. I bore my testimony. It was short and sweet and to the point. However, I continued to cry throughout the whole thing. I just realized how hard it was and is for me living here after the move. This isn't a home and it is really hard here. After the meeting, we all hugged. Maddy came up to me and told me she didn't want to move. I told her moving was hard and we cried together. Than Rach came up to me and grasped onto me and sobbed, as did I. We went to bed that night without revenge on the beehives and we got Saran wrapped in return
Saturday:
The laurels were the first to be ready to go. Most of us packed the night before and we got both tents down in a half hour. We were waiting for the rest to to be done for another hour. But then we left. There was no closure on Cort. I never even got to say goodbye!!!! It took five hours to get home. We went through Provo and stopped by the BYU field to see Han's cousin doing a football camp. While we were stopped a guy walked by and waved at me. Without thinking, I waved back. I guess it was flirtatiously...I don't know. But then we got home and my mum and dad came and got me.
After telling them how much I missed them and about the adventure of Satan's Playground, my dad dropped a bomb on me. We were planning a trip to Vegas in July. It is basically my Senior trip and we are going to see 'the Lion King'. I was so excited to go with my parents on a much needed vacation away from this awful place I dwell in and the residents of it. Then he told me he invited my grandma that I am not close with. It crushed me. I sobbed and sobbed and he was upset with me for some reason. Like, really bad. It still hurts. I can't believe he did that. I felt like a brat at first, but then I told my sister and she said the same thing I was thinking and I realized that he was in the wrong, not me. Like I said, it still hurts.
I then went with my parents to the Park City hospital for my mother's IV therapy. My dad and I went to the cafeteria to get some pizza and there was a cute guy there. He did not replace Cort, but he was cute so I smiled and him and he said Hi so I said Hi back. My dad and I sat at a table to wait for our food and he kept looking at me. So I looked back and smiled. It was nice and I came to realize that this new person is bursting forth inside of me and I like it. I am becoming a bit of a monster.
After spending a week with so many girls, I had more encounters with boys that ever before. And I liked it. And I don't want it to end.
As I look at myself in the mirror, I don't feel mature, nor smooth. I feel clumsy, young, innocent, and casual. I feel like a little baby, a child, still growing. I feel like I should be going back to high school. But no, I and going to college tomorrow. And I am terrified. I am so excited, but I am still terrified.
