Happy Labour Day and happy back to school! This post today comes to you from my new room in my new house which I moved into on Friday. And as of last night, all of my housemates are here now as well. Second year is off to a great start so far and I know that I have an exciting year ahead of me!
It's hard to believe that just over a week ago, I was still on the shores of Clear Lake at camp and now I am in a different province. My summer was absolutely fantastic! Being a camp counselor is truly the best job ever. August was just as good, if not better than July Camp - the girls and boys switched sides of camp, so I was the counselor of the Beech cabin (youngest two week girls, Period 3) and the White Pine cabin (youngest Camp Kivita girls cabin, Period 4A) and then finished the summer living in Aspen for a week. Lauren was there, doing the POLARIS program for the month and Jamie came up for the last two weeks of August. I loved my Beech girls and I ran my favourite cabin choice of the summer for them - a Toilet Paper Bridal Shower (idea credit to Aunt Pearl). Camp Kivita was extremely fun - I got to co-counsel with my longtime camp friend Sydney and we had 8 girls who were all post organ transplants. It was a crazy week but definitely one of my favourites of the summer. On my day off during August, I brought Anna, a counselor from England, home to Ancaster and we spent a day at the Eaton Centre, went out for fro-yo and for sushi before heading back to camp for the final week of the summer. I didn't have any counseling responsibilities that week so I helped out in my friend's cabin. I also did the staff triathlon and finished 6th overall. On the final Saturday, I got to do bus duty so I took campers to Vaughan Mills and then dropped international campers off at Pearson Airport. Then I got to go on a road trip back to camp with 3 male staff for the Staff Banquet that night. There was great food, a long slideshow full of pictures and many awards given out to commemorate a fantastic summer.
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| 3 of my Beech Babes! |
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| Sydney and me in front of White Pine! |
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| 2 of my Kivita campers! |
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| Finishing the staff triathlon! |
After returning from camp, I had a very busy week at home getting ready for school. On Tuesday, I got an email from school with a job opportunity for the first three weeks of September and applied for it later that night. So, after a phone interview, I am now the language monitor for the Yamaguchi English Exchange Program. The program consists of 10 Japanese university students who are at Bishop's to study English for three weeks. My job includes eating lunch with them, going on day trips with them and helping them find their way around campus.
On Wednesday, my mom and I picked up our U-Haul truck and with the help of my uncle and mom's boyfriend, we spent Thursday packing up the truck with all of my furniture to bring to school. On Friday, my mom and I left around 10 in the morning and after a 12 and a half hour trip, made it to my new house late that night. We spent Saturday unloading the truck and setting up my room and other furniture around the house. I met my new boss for the Yamaguchi program and at 4oclock, I boarded a bus to go pick up the exchange students at the Montreal airport. The pick up went smoothly and I got them all back to campus, fed and delivered to their host families by 10pm!
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| Me with the U-Haul truck! |
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| My housemates eating breakfast on the porch! (Pre-Kitchen Table Set Up) |
Sunday was the first day of Orientation Week so my one housemate, Hannah, who is a frosh leader, was up bright and early to go recruit first year students to join her frosh team, the Trouser Snakes. Elizabeth, Jocelyn and I spent more time setting things up around the house (including a new paint coat in the bathroom). We also cooked our first dinner altogether which was pork tenderloin, stir fry veggies and quinoa (provided by our special guest Gaby). I am happy to report that we did not burn anything and our house is still standing! After dinner, our final housemate Sarah arrived and we tried to help her set up her bed but unfortunately it is very difficult to set a bed up without the necessary screws! After that, we went out to the Gaiter Gardens, the first big frosh event, at which there was a big tent and a DJ set up in our Quad. It was so much fun!! We met Hannah`s frosh group and saw a ton of our friends from last year and all in all had a great night! Tonight there is a concert but I have to be up early tomorrow to give the Japanese students a tour so I am going to stay in with my housemates and watch a movie I think. Plus, it`s pouring rain so leaving my house just does not seem desirable.
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| Cooking in our new kitchen! |
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| Bogmates reunited at Gaiter Gardens! |
So good luck to everyone starting at school this week and to all my first year friends, have a great Orientation Week! Remember, make good decisions!!
All my love, Erica xoxoxoxo
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