Nothing like good ol' Southern Hospitality...

Hey everyone! A lot has happened since I updated last. I've been living in Georgia now for about twelve days. The hours have flown by as I have attempted to get acclimated to life at SharpTop Cove. Thankfully not having a car at the moment hasn't been too much of an issue as I have been able to join other interns for rides into town when needed, and enjoy most of the amenities of living at camp. I'm hoping within the next few weeks to be able to get a local mechanic to check out my car and see what it will take to fix the transmission.

As for life at camp, I have found out that my first rotation will be a combination of housekeeping and ropes. Oddly enough the first week, I really did not have time to find out what this role looks like. Last Sunday I joined the other eight interns and our coordinators for a two and a half day intern retreat at a lake house in NorthEast Georgia. This was a great time for us as an intern community to get to know each other and also learn the expectations of us for the next year.

Just a day after we returned to camp from the intern retreat, the nine of us had to go through a three day Certified Operator course in order to run many of the activities around camp (zip-line, climbing wall, ropes course, giant swing, quantum leap pole, etc.). The first day of training was definitely a bit overwhelming with all of the material we needed to remember. But, we all were able to pass our written and skills tests on the third day with no problems. I'm excited to have the opportunity over the next couple of months to run these rides and gain even more confidence in leading campers through these activities.

Besides the retreat and CO training, one item that has consumed a good amount of our time is "turnover" days. These are the days when camper groups leave the property and we all go through all of the public buildings, cabins, and dorms to clean and prepare for our new groups to arrive. The tasks can be tedious at times and make for long days, but it is fun to be around the other interns on these days.

Finally, the "normal" non-turnover days have given me an opportunity to learn my actual job for the next couple months. Usually I'll start my day with about four hours of various housekeeping tasks. These could range from folding sheets and towels to cleaning bathrooms to straightening up cleaning closets. Then, after lunch time I'll head outside to run one of the rides. For instance, today I was one of two staff in charge of the Giant Swing where campers get harnessed in to a contraption that goes high into the air, releases with the pull of a cord, and swings out into the open sky. It's actually a really cool activity. I definitely enjoy being able to be outside, after a summer of working inside the kitchen. My chaco tan-lines are starting to become even more noticeable. =)

Overall, I have been amazed with the great people that I am surrounded with on a daily basis here at camp. To be honest, it has been really challenging transitioning to life twelve hours away from home in a brand new environment. There have been a few moments of encountering uncomfortability where I have had to really trust in God to help me make this transition smoothly. Even though it has been tough at times, I feel I have been able to adjust pretty well over the past couple of weeks. I know I have already started to grow a ton, and this will only continue to occur exponentially over the next year. I'm excited that this growth will happen among awesome interns and staff that are nothing but encouraging and supportive. To God be the glory forever and ever! Blessings!

P.S. I added some pictures for you to enjoy below. Two are of the lake house we had the retreat at and the one one with the colorful blob and people walking is a quick look at SharpTop Cove. I'll add more pictures for you next time. Enjoy!