Preparing to Leave the Rockies.

It's now my last break between sessions and it won't be long until it's time to leave Colorado. This break seems to be all about preparing to move. I got my stuff out of storage yesterday (my storage unit will expire during the last camp session) and put it in a building up at camp. Today, it is laundry, cleaning my car, cleaning out my tent, cancelling my insurance, blah, blah, blah. we even had a little staff get together last night since only some of the staff are staying on for the last camp session. I did have the chance the other night to go to a christian concert in estes park. the gospel music association has a string of concerts by diverse artists to help them promote their music. so in one night i heard southern gospel, rock, pop, jazz, hiphop, and r&b. after a summer basically void of worship with others, it was great to be packed into a gym with passionate people and get to clap, dance, and sing to some great music.
For camp, our last session, senior session, is with older kids, 15-17 yrs old, and it should be a pretty sweet time. We backpack the first half in Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. I'm hoping that the weather is fabulous and we'll have the opportunity to summit mt. Sawtooth. Then we get back and after showers take off to Kremmling to get on the Colorado River for a relaxing float trip. The raft guides take care of food and much of the logistics, so i'll almost be on vacation. i'm super psyched.
it's almost time to say good bye to my friends for the summer. well, i guess some of the good byes have already begun. i hate this part of moving. i used to be naive and thought that i would be reunited with people i was leaving behind--the world is a small place. now i'm just realistic and know that when i leave, there is a good chance i won't see most of these people ever again. i'm not really a fan of boulder over all and don't really see myself being drawn back to it. i had originally pictured boulder as this groovy diverse city, but when i'm there it seems to be mostly privileged white kids and people with the same liberal mindset. while the temptation is there to be amongst people with this mode of thought, i don't think it would help me grow. i feel like i would be stagnate if i lived there. i would miss ignorant people constantly disagreeing with my beliefs (cause if you disagree with me you have to be ignorant, hehe). so my journey continues. the temptation is there though to return and work for cyp. it is an amazing program run by awesome people. the campers are great too, and i would love to continue to build relationships with them year after year. campers have encouraged me to return and they make me want to. this past session i had a camper that i had at keystone last year. he was in my group during our 10 day session last summer and i had him for another 10 days this summer. it was great to start off the session sharing memories of last year and made me think how nice it would be to go back and work for a camp and reunite with lots of returning campers. i haven't had this privilege since i used to work mini 4-H in my late teens. and even though mr. tree (my returning camper) caught his pants on fire while we were cooking (i think he was a bit infatuated with the girl camper tending to the stove next to him), we built more of a bond that will continue into this sr. session, which he is coming to as well. yay.
so in trying to touch base with the news, i realize that there is a heat wave in the east. north carolina folks--i pity you in heat index temps of 110. that's crazy flippin hot. that's hot enough that if i was there, it would be curse word hot, not just crazy flippin hot. hopefully the ocean is bringing a gentle breeze and you spend all day in the water. here it currently feels like 68 degrees--perfection. soon i will be in the hot 80s awaiting me in yosemite. fortunately, the coolness of the merced river will be all i need--how i can't wait to be next door to this beautiful mountain river. soon, very soon.