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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

My 4-H Summer Camp Story

I told you about my Brownie-Girl Scout experience. Now let me tell you my 4-H Summer Camp story! I was given the choice to either go to camp with my best friend or travel with my mom to Cincinnati, Ohio. At 12 years old, I was a "big" girl and told my mom emphatically, "I want to go to camp with my best friend." She said, "Kim are you sure?" She KNEW I wasn't the outdoorsy type. I said, "Absolutely! We're gonna be in C-A-B-I-N-S! We'll be fine!"

Our parents boarded us on the bus and bid us farewell! My friend and I were so happy! No parents! Yaaay! My mom even packed a weeks worth of snacks for me. My best friend and I sang ALL the way there (4 hour bus ride). Upon arriving, the bus driver took a dirt road and all I saw was really tall trees. I whispered to my friend, "THIS doesn't look like what we saw in the brochure".

All of a sudden this woman (who looked like a man) stepped on the bus and said you have til 15:00 hours to unpack and meet me by the tree stump. 15:00 hours? WTF? What is that? They never taught us military time in school! Excuse me, but I didn't sign up for the army...this is suppose to be a fun summer camp! Well, my best friend and I walked in our assigned cabin and it was filled with bunk beds. What??? We don't have private rooms? <only child syndrome> Open bathrooms and showering??? My best friend started crying and said, "Kim, I want to go home!" What?! Go home? You're the one that convinced me to take this trip!!!

BAM!!! The cabin door flew open! In came the woman with the seriously cropped spiked hair outlining THE RULES."You WILL hear a bugle every morning!!! Upon which you will shower, get dressed and be ready. Go over to THAT building and line UP!!! Whoever has the straightest line shall eat FIRST! You then will complete the daily activities outlined on THIS paper and you may NOT return to THIS cabin until the END OF THE DAY!" Well goodness-gracious-GOD-all-mighty!!! I felt like I had just met The Wicked Witch of the frickin west! I looked at my best friend and she started crying AGAIN, "Kim, I wanna go home". Good grief!!!

Well, our cabin never once had a straight line, so we always ate LAST. The food was like slop (think back to the movie Oliver Twist) and it was cold by the time it was served to us.So we ended up throwing it away and literally survived on bottled Barqs Root Beer (which is so good) for the remainder of the week. The very FIRST night, my best friend and I ate ALL the snacks my mom had packed for the WEEK! While eating a Hostess cupcake my friend looked at me and said, "Kim, I want to go home". Oh girl, here's another Twinkie.


Archery, hiking, canoeing, pottery etc. were the classes we had to complete. I wasn't good at ANY of them! It was hot as hell out there and so we continued to suck down Barqs bottled root beer for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sitting on one of the benches, my friend told me "Kim, I wanna go home." No kidding chicadee! Bottles up!

It was now WEDNESDAY and the weather was absolutely terrible! We were sent to our cabins early, because of the bad weather. Thank GOD!!! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! I could FINALLY get some rest! During this bad lightning storm, a blonde-headed girl decided to blow-dry her hair. ALL OF A SUDDEN, the lights flickered and we heard a Zzzzz-ZAPPP! Yep! She got electrocuted. I was like LAWDY! The wicked witch of the west flew in, warned us to stay in our beds and not to budge. An ambulance hauled the blonde girl away. I was thinking, was that the only way to get out of this hell hole? BTW, she ended up being ok. During this fiasco, my friend started crying in the bunk bed below and looked up at me. I looked at her and said I KNOW, "you wanna go home!"


THURSDAY evening, they informed us the buses would arrive first thing FRIDAY morning! They said we should eat breakfast and board the bus. Well, there was NO WAY we were gonna miss that bus. My friend and I packed Thursday night! We were the first ones up Friday morning. We found the bus and started questioning the bus driver. "Is this bus going back to New Orleans?" He said, "Yes!" We said, "Are you SURE?" 12 year olds questioning an adult WITH A DRIVER'S LICENSE! HaHaHaHa He said, "positively!" We were the only ones on the bus and sat directly behind him to make sure. One wrong turn and we were driving the bus back to New Orleans ourselves ;) THIS time I TOLD my friend, "we're going home!". Do you know, she went to sleep!

My grandfather came to pick me up (my mom was still in Cincinnati). He said, "Kim, what happened to you?" You guys know how light I am. Well within one week, I was blacker than a blackboard AND skin & bones. Barq's root beer diet! It totally works. Just sayin'! HaHaHa I told him, "I got this!", and threw my suitcase in the trunk of his car. My grandparents fixed my favorite meal, red beans & rice with pork chops. I ate to my little hearts content and slept from that afternoon to the following evening the next day. Yes, a day and a half! I was so happy to see my Duran Duran records. Y'all! There's no place like HOME!

4-H is REALLY GREAT, but if you're not the outdoorsy type, just say NO! HaHaHa I didn't join a DAMN 'nother recreational club after that. HaHaHa I am NOT an OUTDOORSY GIRL :) I grew up in the 80's. The arrow is pointing to me.
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45 comments

  1. Oh Lordy Kim this sounds absolutely horrendous - what a nightmare! You are a great story teller though I was chuckling away while shuddering at the same time!

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  2. Wow. Sounded like you joined the military. No, more like the marine corps. (lol) Although I'm a bit jealous that you did archery. I would have enjoyed that.

    Great story. Thanks for sharing. Also, how cute are the cartoons!

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  3. Hahaha, you've written this so well, I was really laughing here. It sounds positively hellish and you've really made that whole experience come to life. Great writing. :-) xo

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  4. Oh my Kim, how crazy and also a bit hilarious the way you wrote this I could just imagine when blondie was blow drying her hair and the lights went. Now for some reason that 'Mad donna' - wheels on the bus song is stuck in my head. Thanks! haha. :)

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  5. Ha ha, Kim, I think the two of us should have gone to a nice hotel while the rest of our friends were at camp! We had to go to camp with school from ages 9-11, and of course you want to go because your friends will be there, but I was so hopeless at all the activites and spent most of the time being food for mosquitos. The food was better than it sounds liek yours was, but I was so fussy, I remember mostly picking at lettuce the whole time I was away! The year I was eleven it got so bad, when I came home my mom thought I had come down with the chicken pox - but no, it was just bug bites! Ha ha! You are not alone, girl :)
    xox,
    Cee

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  6. Great story and so well written Kim.
    Mis Paps.
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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  7. Great story, Kim! Reminded me of one of my childhood experiences... The summer camp horror week that I hated from the very start. I didn't even want to go...
    I wonder why nobody ever came up with an idea of SPA's for kids?... Wouldn't it be wonderful?!
    x

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  8. hahaha sounds like a summer camp from hell !! what an experience!

    Meghan Silva's Blog

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  9. hehehe I love that story, Kim! It really made me smile at so many points, but I know, it must have been horrible. I never went to any camp as a child/teen. Not only I'm not an outdoorsy type either, but I was also painfully shy back then and the thought of shring rooms and bathrooms with people I didn't know terrified me. So I never insisted my parents to send me to a camp, or a school trip or abroad to learn English (which was the coolest thing to do in the summer while I was growing up).

    Sometimes I think I've missed up on some great experiences, but I also know that I wouldn't have enjoyed them.

    Have a wonderful week :)
    xo Irene

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  10. As a previous Girl Scout Leader, even I cringed at your story. Our troop had so much fun in the woods, and since they cooked their own foods, and had planned them, it wasn't a hardship. Poor, baby. It's a crying shame that the adults that ran that camp ruined the experience for you. Get out the modern DVD of Parent Trap for a good laugh.

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  11. haha, omg Kim, I just read through this and it really does sound like the military. AND your grandpa must have wondered what the camp was all about when he picked you up. I have to say I never went to camp as a kid, I always got too homesick after 1 night and I was probably scared to have an experience like your's hehe. Thanks for sharing!!

    xoDale
    http://www.savvyspice.com

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  12. I LOVE this! I was in 4-H as a little girl, and attended Girl Scout camp several times (I always got poison ivy and saw snakes--which I am terrified of!); so, I totally relate to the "I wanna go home" aspect a lot! :) Super-big hugs, T. http://tickledpinkwoman.blogspot.com

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  13. And I thought church camp was bad!

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  14. Oh wow, so many people at that camp! Sounds horrible for you though, you poor girl!

    I've only ever been on church camps, and they were pretty fun as I got to play with all my friends. :)

    Away From Blue

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  15. Oh my gosh I am cracking up! You are a great storyteller! Sorry your experience wasn't a good one, but now you can laugh about it, right?

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  16. oh Kim I bet this is such unforgettable experience for you... gosh it was a bit terrible though :(

    great story and i know you learned from it!!! take care.

    xoxo,Meg of Sweet Gala's

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  17. Awww. At least you had your friend with you there. And you survived too. Hihi.
    (^^,)

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  18. Lol! Sounds like you didn't have too much fun but at least you can get a good laugh out of it now! Loved reading this! Hugs from Cali! xx The Golden Girls

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  19. Thanks for sharing this really entertaining story with us, I could just picture the movie version of it...I know I would have never even survived one hour there so kudos to you for making through the entire week! It takes resilience and courage. Oh my goodness about the poor girl that got electrocuted, I really thought that only happened in the teen movies!

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  20. thats so awful! i just sent my daughter to camp today , i kinda feel a little bad now.

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  21. Hilarious, Kim! I suppose it wasn't very funny for you at the time though. Just as well your friend had you to cheer her up. It doesn't sound like my kind of thing either. I can still remember camping with the Girl Guides when it rained every single day and the tent was leaking. We managed to have a few laughs but my camping days are certainly over !

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  22. Hi Kim! Lol, you must have been traumatized from it! Wonder how you could survive, poor kid!! Imagined the face of your granny when he picked you up:) But I get you, you reminded some of my childhood school experinces!:) Kisses! xo

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  23. What an amazing story! I liked a few camps only because when I was little, I joined one that sounds just like your camp. That was a big camp as well with all of those kids


    -Vogue&Heels
    www.vogueandheels.com

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  24. This is just one of the many reasons why I don't camp. What a horror story! You're friend sounds hilarious wanting to go home pretty much as soon as she got off the bus.

    It's nice that you had the experience because now you have the story, but yeah, no more camping! :)

    Oh to Be a Muse
    $25 Layered Muse Giveaway

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  25. That's a big camp! Your story made me laugh. Totally reminded me of the original Parent Trap movie (which I looooove). Glad you and your friend (& the blonde) survived!!

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  26. Oh noes! I never went to camp because my parents were broke as hell but I am soooo glad we never went! I do want rootbeer now...

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  27. Haha what a horrible but hilarious summer camp story!

    xo, Yi-chia
    Always Maylee

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  28. Kim this was too funny!!!!!! I mean, poor girls it must have been a nightmare, but looking back it's funny now :-)
    I tried to zoom the picture as much as possible and you were a beauty already!
    Big hugs my friend
    xoxo
    Coco et La vie en rose
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    Enter and share my international giveaway :-)

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  29. Oh my word Kim, you had me rolling on the floor laughing!! xD That was one AWFUL experience to have to go through, but at least now you know better hehe. I can't believe a girl was electrocuted!

    Trendy Teal

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  30. Your experience makes for a great story! I never went to camp, save one camp weekend as a school trip. Even with our supposed guide, our group got lost hiking. Never again!

    always, koru kate

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  31. Oh really beautiful time and memories.
    xoxo

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  32. Great story

    New post on the blog:
    http://couturetrend.blogspot.it/2013/05/naama-bay.html

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  33. Good story darling...you white good..
    Nicky
    www.mywishstyle.com

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  34. Oh Kim....what an experience, eh? I can't believe someone got electrocuted!!!

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  35. Kim, this is SO funny, it literally made me "laugh out loud". That poor girl who got electrocuted! Who would have thought that would happened? This reminded me when I went camping as a kid. The water was so cold, I seriously didn't take a shower for 3 days. It was so gross and when I came back, I never knew my mom's cooking was so good. Lol!

    xo Jo

    http://www.whiterosesandcoffee.com/

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  36. Haha, that's such a good story, kinda horrible but kinda fun. I can't believe that someone got electrocuted, that's horrible, glad she was ok.

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  37. Hahahahahahaha...I loved it!!! I loved camp, I went all the time, but thankfully nothing like this ever happened to me. We weren't allowed sweets at the camp I wwent to, but we snuck some in and hid it away. Poor lambs, am glad you got back home ok, bless. Well, I can tell by the name of the camp, it wasn't going to be fun, hahaha. All the camps I went to have Native American names or some very funny, un-pronounceable name, maybe that was the thing you needed ;D Bless, loved this story!! xx

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  38. great story but thats horrible!!! omg i would of cried too!!!

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  39. I thoroughly enjoyed this story Kim. Loved it! Good thing you were strong for your Best Friend. I love Duran Duran. You know I just downloaded some 80s song to a CD so I can play it in my car while driving. It has some Duran Duran on it like "Save A Prayer" and " Girls On Film." Who was your crush in the Band? " What was your fave Duran Duran song? I grew up in the 80s too. My High School reunion is coming up this year! I don't know if I should be excited about it?!

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  40. OMG Kim. I can be that citygirl and I can be that outdorrsy girl too but what you experienced at that summer camp is not fit for 12 years old. I would love the activities but not the way the wicked witch handled the regiment. Hahaha... this post cracks me up!

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  41. Aaaw Kim this story is so cute! I am sorry you had such a terrible time, but you have now totally erased my regret of never going to camp!

    -Jacqueline

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  42. what a great story kim..you are a good story teller

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  43. you poor thing! Kim i really like how this is written :)
    I never went to camp, i am so thankful!

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  44. How horrible! But, your story made for a great read. You're a great writer!

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  45. thanks for this blog post i like this blog post...must say the information is perfectly fine...

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