A Day in the Life of Camp Pontiac

Many events have occured the past couple of months to alter my plans for my summer. I will be the first to admit to you that I have a very difficult time making decisions. To keep a potentially long, complicated story short... through a long series of events, I have decided to go back to do another summer at Camp Pontiac!

About a year ago, I was trying to figure out something new and exciting to do for the summer and I ended up submitting my resume into CampChannel.com. I got an e-mail from Camp Pontiac asking for a phone interview (which consisted of two questions) and I got the job on the spot!

This camp is a boy's and girl's sports emphasized camp in Copake, NY, which is about 2 hours north of the city, virtually right next to the Massachusetts and Connecticut border. It is absolutely gorgeous there. The mountains are beautiful and the high is usually around 80-85 degrees, making it a perfect summer (compared to the ridiculous humidity in Austin and Orlando). The camp is about thirty minutes away from a Walmart, but there is a really good deli down the street, along with a gas station that helps fix my sweet tea needs :)

              

My position was actually really cool. I was what we considered part of the GOBS, Girls On Boys' Side. We were the bunk moms for the younger boys (and the counselors at times =) ). Us girls were there to take care of the things the male counselors aren't exactly programed to deal with. Basically, I just got to play sports and hang out with some of the coolest 10 year old kids I know for eight weeks. I also go to work with people from all around the world and build some of the greatest relationships one could have. There was actually another girl there named Stephanie, who is also from Austin. Her birthday is three days after mine! Crazy!

There are so many amazing memories that were created on this journey. We took a trip to the water park and Six Flags, we did so many different tournaments in all sorts of sports. On my days off I got to take my first trip to NYC, Albany, and even Connecticut to visit a very dear friend of mine... Camp was an amazing experience and I would not change one second of it. Not a day goes by without me thinking of my boys and how much I miss them. I am so excited to see them again, along with other counselors that are returning as well! I can't wait until summer :)

Don't go away don't say goodbye, the thought of you sends my heart flying. Don't leave me now don't look behind, never go where I can't find you. Just hold my hand and don't let go, stay with me for one last moment in time. Promise to me, say you will be, Always a Friend...

Many things

Yes. It has been a while. I appologize for any worry I may have caused you few individuals that read this :)

A lot has happened since my last post. My wonderful friends from Abilene came to visit me, I turned 21 and school officially started for the Spring semester. It is only a few weeks into the semester and man, I am exhausted.

I started working in the Member Activities department at Lifetime. It's so much fun! I get to work birthday parties and other events we throw like Parents' Night Out, where we have a bunch of kids come and swim, climb the rock wall, do arts and crafts and just kick back and watch a movie. I love it so much. It is a great change of pace from swiping at the front desk :)

I recently started going to San Marcos Community Church with Sarah (the future roommate, by the way. We signed our lease for the fall!!!) This church is exactly what I have been looking for. The college group is about 15 people and really intimate, absolutely perfect. My attendance is limited right now, but once I get through this semester and move down to San Marcos in the fall, I will be able to contribute much more.

University Ambassadors has kicked off and running already! We have just recruited eight new members so we OFFICIALLY have our 40 faces :) I am still loving being the Secretary (aka 'Stephretary') and I am thinking about running again for next year. This position seems to fit me perfectly and I can't imagine performing any other officer position.

I unfortunately did not make the Orientation Leader position I was hoping to get for this summer, but I am ok with that. I have been doing some research on some internships for Public Relations firms in the Austin area and I have landed an interview with what looks like a really great firm downtown. Hopefully it will go well and I will be given the opportunity to work with them this summer. I am incredibly happy with my major and the path I am on right now. I had my first PR test on Wednesday and I ended up passing with flying colors. To anyone in the Public Relations industry.. watch out, here I come!

We are starting a group project soon. We get to choose an organization on campus and do a whole PR summary on them including an executive summary, a model press release, a budget and a bunch of other things. It should be a lot of fun!

To wrap this up, I have some exciting news. I am headed to San Francisco in just a few weeks for Spring Break!! My favorite city. I am meeting up with a friend I worked with at Disney World. We are doing some wine-tasting, staying in a hostile and there is a possible sailboat ride under the Golden Gate Bridge!!!! I could not be more excited about this. The break is going to be much needed, considering how the past few weeks have gone.

I think it is time for some sleep. I hope everyone has a great Valentines Day and a wonderful week :)

Well I gotta help you cross somethin'!!

Working at a gym during the new year is very interesting. Our attendance has been drastically different the past two days due to, of course, New Year's Resolutions. Our regulars come in with their eyes popping out of their sockets because they are so amazed by the attendance, but according to my colleagues it is going to start slowin' back to normal again come March. Interesting the way that works =P My shifts have been flying by because I have had things to do instead of just staring at the clock which is a nice change.

Have you ever done yoga? If not, I challenge you to try it at least twice. The first time I tried a Yoga class it hurt... really bad. I was quite discouraged. A week or so later I tried it again and it was a little bit easier. I am now addicted to it. I feel so wonderful after a class, the amount of energy I get from it is just amazing! It's easier to move around and my posture is getting a lot better, in just the short amount of time I have been attending classes. I go through phases in my workouts, and lately cardio has just not sounded appealing. I have lost 8 pounds since I started yoga, more than when I was doing cardio pretty regularly. Try it out!! It is wonderful :)

Two of my wonderful friends have asked me to read Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren with the. I have attempted the book before, but lost momentum. God has blessed me with some wonderful people that influence me in so many ways. I'm so excited to take this journey with these to lovely ladies through these 40 days.

The semester is creeping up and I am not quite sure how I feel about that yet. I am quite excited to start up my Public Relations courses. I really feel that this is the place God wants me to be and I cannot wait to see what it holds for me. I have some exciting ideas and I know that wherever God leads me will be absolutely amazing :)

I finally have something exciting to do for Spring Break: San Francisco. Details on that another night :)

I hope you all are having a wonderful 2010 so far and God continues to bless you!

If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for you.
Matthew 17:20

My 2k9

"When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do. And one thing it takes to accomplish something is courage."

                               - Walt Disney



It is 8:25pm here in Austin, TX, on Thursday December 31, 2009. Man oh man, was 2009 a crazy year.

Just one year ago from today I was sitting in my friend's apartment at Chatham Square in Orlando, FL, watching the ball drop on TV. I had just finished my last shift at the Caribbean Beach Resort at Walt Disney World, concluding my journey in the Disney College Program. It is difficult to describe my time there in one blog entry, without taking up a few hours of your time. I met so many people there whom I absolutely adore. I miss them so much... they have impacted me more than they possibly know.

Since I got back, I have became a University Ambassador on campus, joined the Campus Rep team for the DCP and lost 25lbs! Ambassadors help with recruiting and selling the school to prospective students by giving daily tours and running our open house twice a semester, also known as Bobcat Day. I absolutely love it. I ran for office for this year and I eventually was given the Secretary position. This was not a position I would have chosen for myself, but I was happy to be on the Executive board no matter what I was doing. After a week or so of performing my duties, I came to realize this was the perfect position for me. I could not be happier with what I am doing.

To give you a little background about me, at the start of my college career I was a Music Education major looking to being a band director. It did not take me long to realize it really was not the place for me. As much as I enjoyed the theory classes and playing my clarinet, I just could not see myself going into that field and being fully satisfied. Shortly after my freshman year came to a conclusion is when I left for Disney World. I really wanted to get out of Austin and put myself in a different setting to see what else was out there for me. Through those experiences, being an Ambassador and constantly praying about where exactly God wants me to be, I have landed on being a Public Relations major. I really do believe this is where I need to be and I am incredibly motivated to do whatever I can to be successful in this field.

Going back to my 2k9, I had originally wanted to be an Orientation Leader for the summer but I ended up getting an alternate position for it. I knew that even though I felt well qualified for the job, God wanted me to be elsewhere for the summer. I immediately started doing some research and landed on something I have always dreamed of doing; becoming a camp counselor. What I was handed was beyond what I had ever imagined. Shortly after filling out my resume on a global camp website, Camp Pontiac contacted me, anxiously requesting me to apply for their camp. Their employer called me a few days later, asked me two questions, and then began explaining their day-to-day schedule. Thirty minutes later, she offered me the job to be a General Camp Counselor on the Boys' side at their sports emphasized co-ed camp in up-state NY. Long story short, I spent eight weeks in New York, met some amazing people from around the world and built some unforgettable relationships with 44 ten-year-old boys, strangely enough. I would love to go back next summer, but I have once again interviewed to be an Orientation Leader. Hopefully I will get a chance to fulfill that dream next summer with the best friend :)

I have really been growing up the past year. It is only two short weeks until my 21st birthday. It has come to the point in my life where I need to start making life-altering decisions. I have some great plans and goals for the next few years that I am super excited to tackle. Graduation seems so far away and utterly impossible, considering I will most likely be graduating at least a semester late, if not a whole year. I know that after some hard work and dedication, I will finally graduate college- the first woman in my family to do so. At this point in time, my plans for after graduation are looking at going back to Orlando for an event planning professional internship at Disney World. We shall see where my life leads me the next couple of years to see if that will play out. :)

I recognize that I do tend to be a bit wordy at times, and I commend you for making it this far, but I am trying to work on my jibber-jabber. I have made this blog to start working on my writing for PR and just try to keep connected with what I should be concentrated on this year. I would love to be connected with some of y'all and do some networking with you :)

I wish you each a wonderful 2010 filled with happiness and success! God Bless!!