Camp Councelors // H.S.

Penny Goes To Camp!

"Bug spray?"

"Check."

"Sunglasses?"

"Got 'em."

" Bathing suits?"

"Only the ones I don't mind getting moss on from jumping in the lake."

My mom handed me back my clipboard with several pages of checklists. I had meticulously  written out every thing I could possibly need for a summer of screaming children, camping, and crafts. This included a couple pairs of (totally stylish) cargo shorts that I was forced to wear, sneakers, flip flops, some sundresses, and of course my forest green camp counselor tee shirt. It said Camp Whispering Pines on the front with a bunch of white outlines of trees. It was made of that super soft material that was also thin enough to not get sweaty.

I had always dreamed of wearing one of these when I was kid at the camp. The counselors always seemed so cool and mature, It was crazy that I, at only 16, was going to be one! I was determined to be best friends with all the kids and make sure they had as much fun as I did when I was their age.

"Penny, we're leaving in ten minutes, go brush your teeth and get any last minute things!", my mom reminded me from across the room, grabbing the car keys. My mom had my same dark, black hair and pale freckly skin. But she had chocolatey brown eyes, where I had grey ones like my dad did. I was always told how much I looked like my mom. If only I was more like her personality-wise. She was an ex-ballerina and always walked with a graceful confidence that I envied so much. I could barely walk up the stairs without tripping or talking without embarrassing myself. Maybe the high ropes course at camp will make me a little more balanced, I thought to myself.

I brushed my teeth and pulled my hair into a messy bun before grabbing my black converse and running out to the car. I smiled at my mom and sank into my seat, putting in my earbuds and blasting some Green Day and twenty one pilots. I watched as the Chicago city skyline faded into country, then fields, and finally bushy forests. I couldn't help rolling down the windows of the car and sticking my head out like a puppy, breathing in the refreshing Michigan air. I closed my eyes, smelling the clean breeze coming from the towering trees. Much better for your lungs than Chicago smog.

"Your destination is on your right", Siri told my mom from her iPhone. "Arrived at Camp Whispering Pines".

I saw the huge camp sign and parent drop off area. Everywhere, little kids were either crying and hugging their parents or their parents were bawling and the kids were truing desperately to get away. I leapt out of the car and ran to the trunk before the car was even in park. I threw open the car trunk and grabbed my duffle. I whirled around to find my mom, standing teary-eyed beside me. It was almost a tradition for my mom to get all emotional and reflect on how much I had grown up every year she dropped me off, even when I was an councilor now. 

"Mom, It's only four weeks. That's nothing. And employees can use the pay phones whenever we want."

She nodded and hugged me tight. "I'm going to miss you, Penny Grace. You're going to be the best camp councilor this place has seen. And your cabin will be color coordinated and run on a schedule tighter than the military", she laughed.

I hugged her back, smiling into her shoulder. "I love you, mom. I'll keep everyone in tip-top shape around here. I already have a whiteboard and cute magnets, if we don't win Best Cabin, we'll certainly win Most Organized."

She looked up proudly at me. I stood a good five inches above her. At 5'8, I was one of the taller girls. I've been asked if I play volleyball more times than I care to remember. I turned around to check in, when my mom called out for me.