wild honey

Day One

Chapter Playlist:

"First Day of My Life" - Bright Eyes

"Sweet Emotion" - Aerosmith

"Sit Next to Me" - Foster the People

"Put Your Records On" - Corinne Bailey Rae

"Seeing Stars" - BORNS

Monday, August 1st, 9:04 AM

Well, fuck me with a chainsaw.

I woke up to see my crisp white sheets suddenly resembling the Chinese flag and groaned outwardly. On my first official day as a camp counselor at Camp Michigan, before I had even left my house to drive to counselor orientation, Mother Nature decided to knock on my door and drop off my monthly package.

I started my period.

And there could literally be no worse time for it to happen. I was extremely nervous for orientation already, my anxiety building as the days came and went. I had attended the camp as a child, but the age cutoff was 12, and now, at 21, I was finally able to become a counselor. Once I couldn't attend camp anymore, I focused on school and getting into college. This is my last summer before I enter my final year, majoring in communications and marketing. It's not exactly the most interesting major, but it'll get me a good job. I will, however, be making bank as a counselor this year. The camp is two weeks long and each counselor gets paid $45 a day for their hard work and patience. Of course, everyone aspiring to be a counselor had to go through a rigorous background check: no drug history, no underage drinking history, no criminal offenses. Another requirement was one reference that can prove you're good with kids. Mine was a longtime babysitting client, who I worked with for four years throughout high school and kept in touch with during college. About a month ago, I got a call that I was cleared and was accepted as a counselor for the camp. I was stoked, of course, at the money and memories I'd be making, but even more excited to see who I'd meet.

I've been unlucky in love for as long as I can remember. I had two boyfriends in high school, both of which fucked up in one way or another. Come senior year, I decided to focus on graduating and my own life. For the past four years, I've dated around and had one night stands, but never committed to a real relationship. There was something about each guy I met that didn't feel right. It began to make me lose hope that I'd find someone special.

But regardless, this summer has been a fun one, full of friends and family and flings. Secretly, though? I'm hoping I meet someone soon. Someone I can actually connect with. Someone who won't just ditch me after one night.

The camp is an hour away, so I figured I'd better start getting ready to go. Going through my usual routine and applying some makeup, I brushed out my electric blue hair, threw on a Led Zeppelin shirt, shorts, and converse, and checked to make sure I packed everything for two weeks away from home. Grabbing my two duffel bags, small purse, and lanyard, I kissed my mom goodbye and headed out.

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Camp Michigan is a lot bigger than I remembered. Pulling up into the parking lot, I noticed some new renovations that must have happened within my few years of hiatus. But it still had that cozey, homey kinda feel to it that I loved so much when I was a kid. Stepping out of my car and grabbing my bags, I inhaled and closed my eyes, relishing the atmosphere I'd be in for the next two weeks. I was excited, sure, but I was also scared. New counselor orientation lasted four hours; they served us lunch and taught us everything we needed to know, ran down the daily schedule, went over emergency procedures, and answered any possible questions we had. I knew for a fact there'd be plenty of new counselors there with the same questions I did, which eased my nerves a bit. But there would also be older, wiser staff, who would hopefully take it easy on me during my first day.