July 5, 2018

I was throwing my bags for camp into my dad's new blue truck when it occurred to me that I would be three hours away from home, with complete strangers that hopefully, I would start calling my friends. I have gone to camp many times before and made a lot of new friends that I have never forgotten, but this time was different. I was scared to be away from my family and this fear made no sense, I had done this so many times. Why was this time different now? Suddenly I was done and my family and I piled into the car and drove off to the elementary school. We got there early so I watched out my window for the big yellow cheese wagon reluctantly hoping it would never show. My heart pounded like crazy. After a few minutes, the bus came and I hopped out of the truck. The driver got my bags from my dad and put them in the back of the bus. I climbed up the stairs as slowly as I could and looked for an empty seat in the back not meeting any curious eyes. I walked as fast as I could to the seat I had located a second ago and sat down.

"Chloe look over here" My head whipped to the familiar voice of my father and ducked with a small smile creeping onto my face. I loved him but he loves taking pictures at the worst times and I really didn't want my picture taken with all of these people I didn't know. He chuckled and left the bus. Soon three more girls came. Jory, Brooklynn, and Kaylee. I started talking to Sam, Brooklynn, Jory, and Alex. When I first saw Alex I knew right there and then that he would be the boy that I would have a crush on this week, though it probably wouldn't amount to anything like all the other boys I've had a crush on in camp. Camp crushes aren't supposed to amount to anything anyway, just something to get my life at home off my mind.

Brooklynn wouldn't stop talking and spraying Alex and me with her water bottle which was full of ice tea. Jory and Alex started talking in French. I was listening and laughed when Alex called Jory cheese because she was making fun of him and talking about some zing he has with a girl on our bus, and everyone looked at me.

"What Alex just called Jory month old cheese. Who wouldn't laugh at that" I protested

"You know French," Jory asked

"I can hear it and know what you are saying but I can't speak it," I responded. After there shocked faces went away we all kept talking and getting to know each other better until the road trip was done and we were at Goldeye.

When the bus stopped we all got out and gathered at the back to grab our bags, and put them by the campfire. All I could think about was how I wished that I was at OLVC instead of ACCA. I felt safe there and this place was new and scary. How would I ever survive? Following Jory and Brooklynn, I met their friend Bella or Isabella who I call Izzy. We played Blob tag. I got tagged after 10 minutes because I was standing still and wasn't paying attention to who was behind me. After we played Cat and mouse and I got to meet a lot of new people being stuck with them on the wet grass waiting until the game ended or I had to run for my life.

Then we got separated into four cabins. Boys in cabin three and four and girls in cabin one and two. I was in cabin one with Jory. Brooklynn and Izzy were in cabin two. Jory told me to get the top bunk right beside Jory and Brook was under me. Sara, Sabine, Cassy. Chantelle, Kayla, Brandy, Ty, Jenaye, Cadence, Mira, Rebecca, Brenna and Mac and Cheese was our counsellor. Before long we had gotten everything unpacked and we were told to go to the Seminar and right away my eyes started searching for Alex. I found him in the back row hiding beside a few rows of chairs. We got introduced to Mac and cheese, Micky, Mateeth, Seanzie, Lady Zoe, Larz, Val, Taigen, and L-smack. They gave us all the rules and responsibilities we had this week and the looming sense that we could be sent home at any time we did something really bad. Next, we were split into three groups, Butterflies, Stars, and Safari animals. I was in Safari animals with Brooklynn and Alex and we were guided out the door again for our tour and our tour guides were Mateeth and Taigen.

When the tour was done we were all told to go to the Pavillion for supper. We had chicken nuggets and veggies. I sat with Brooklynn, Jory, and Izzy and they were fixated on getting people to sing for having their elbows on the table.

"What is that girl's name. Her elbows are on the table." Jory wondered.

"It's Emily. Come on guys you should know this" I said.

"Emily, Emily, strong and able get your elbows off the table, this is not a horse stable, but a first-class dining table. Round the table you must go, you must go. Speed it up a little bit, a little bit. You must do a song and dance, song and dance, song and dance." the whole camp sang as poor Emily didn't make it to her chair fast enough. Slowly she walked up to the front of the tables and she looked worse then what I felt. I shouldn't have told Jory her name. At first, she was a little shaky but she sang the whole A B C song and two minutes later everyone forgot she was even up there.

Then we walked back to the Seminar and learned our theme song, The Champion by Carrie Underwood.

[Carrie Underwood:]

I'll be the last one standing

Two hands in the air, I'm a champion

You'll be looking up at me when it's over

I live for the battle, I'm a soldier, yeah

I'm a fighter like Rocky

Put you flat on your back like Ali

Yeah, I'm the greatest, I'm stronger

Paid my dues, can't lose, Imma own ya, ay

I've been working my whole life

And now it's do or die

I am invincible, unbreakable

Unstoppable, unshakeable

They knock me down, I get up again

I am the champion

You're gonna know my name

You can't hurt me now

I can't feel the pain

I was made for this, yeah, I was born to win

I am the champion

When they write my story

They're gonna say that I did it for the glory

But don't think that I did it for the fame, yeah

I did it for the love of the game, yeah

And this is my chance I'm taking

All them old records I'm breaking

All you people watching on the TV

You go ahead and put your bets on me, ay

I've been waiting my whole life

To see my name in lights

I am invincible, unbreakable

Unstoppable, unshakeable

They knock me down, I get up again

I am the champion

You're gonna know my name

You can't hurt me now

I can't feel the pain

I was made for this, yeah, I was born to win

I am the champion

[Ludacris:]

Born champion, Luda!

The C is for the courage I possess through the drama

H is for the hurt but it's all for the honour

A is for my attitude working through the patience

Money comes and goes so the M is for motivation

Gotta stay consistent, the P is to persevere

The I is for integrity, innovative career

The O is optimistic, open and never shut

And the N is necessary cause I'm never giving up

See they ask me how I did it, I just did it from the heart

Crushing the competition, been doing it from the start

They say that every champion is all about his principles

Carrie!

[Carrie Underwood:]

I am invincible, unbreakable

Unstoppable, unshakeable

They knock me down, I get up again

I am the champion

You're gonna know my name

You can't hurt me now

I can't feel the pain

I was made for this, yeah, I was born to win

I am the champion

[Ludacris:]

I'm the champion, yeah

Surpassed all rivals

It's all about who wants it the most

[Carrie Underwood:]

I am the champion

[Ludacris:]

Fight for what we believe in

That's what champions are made of

[Carrie Underwood:]

I am the champion

While we were singing an evil plan formed in my brain. I decided I would tell Alex that Brooklynn likes him and Brooklynn that Alex liked her because they despise each other, also I could spend lots of time with Alex without him suspecting me liking him, plus it would be hilarious. So when the song ended I went to Alex and told him. At first, he was a little shocked but recovered very fast and looked disgusted. I walked happily back to my friends with a small smile on my face. After all the councillors got up on the little stage in the seminar with name tags in their hands. My colour group was purple and Liam, Danielle, Ka li, Kyra, Sara, Nate, Micky as our counsellor were also in my colour group. Alex was in red with Brooklynn. I sighed disappointed that he wasn't with me. All the groups got a couple of markers and a big piece of paper. We wrote our expectations, fears, and events we wanted to do. My group and I also picked The Purple Raptors as our name. I expected warm fuzzies, to make new friends, learn valuable ways to become a better leader and make a lot of great memories. I am scared of snakes, cold prickly, brown Leanne and making people sad. The events I want are swimming, hiking, singing, and lots of games.

When we were all done we got into one big line as told by L-smack. We were going to get our secret friend's name. I couldn't wait until I got a name so I could start thinking of gifts I could give them. It took forever for me to finally get to the table. There were only five little papers left. I picked the one that was in the very middle and the name on it was Quinn Woods and his nickname was minion. Or at least that is what he said. We spent 10 minutes just talking to our friends and laughing at what each other got. Jory got Lars, Izzy got Jory, and Brooklynn got Kayla. Further, we all got green books. My favourite colour.

My Personal Daily Reflections - Day One

Thursday, July 5th

I, Chloe M promise myself that I will endeavour by July 11th, 2018 (one week from yesterday), to have achieved the following two goals:

Give Quinn great secret friends gifts

Never have my elbows on the table at meals

My new friends are: Jory, Brooklynn, Isabelle, Alex, Sam, and Cadence

I feel: Happy because I haven't thought about Hayden once

A nice thing that happened to me today: I made new friends

I am wondering about: Meegan's chipmunk cheeks

Overall my first day was: Great

" I never stop getting ready. Just in case." *Chris Hadfield, Astronaut*

When I was done I put my green book in the purple folder and followed a group of kids that I had talked to briefly in the short time we have been here and found my friends in a circle chatting by the flag. I walked up to them and was welcomed with open arms and big smiles. We all sang the taps song until the Canadian and gay flag down and folded. Then we were told to go to the cabins to get ready for bed. I decided that I would shower in the morning because I was just too lazy and I knew that it would wake me up tomorrow morning. I got into bed and the councillors all came in to say goodnight. They turned off the lights and closed the door. A second later everyone turned on their flashlights and kept on talking or writing. Most of the talk was about Jackson the hottest guy at camp and I couldn't disagree with them but I would rather have Alex. As I was thinking about Alex I thought it would be mean to keep the prank going for very long so I wrote a note to him telling him I liked him instead. It felt like a good idea at the time so I put it beside my mattress so I wouldn't forget it. I actually fell asleep around 12:45 which was faster than I thought because it was so cool how the girls in our cabin could all bond in a couple of hours without hesitation and at the end of the day it's all about the friends and memories that you can make in seven days.