Wednesday, October 9th: Camp Day One
On Day One, most of the team does last-minute prep while three team members head to the airport to facilitate getting campers onto shuttles. Campers start arriving at 2PM, and camp officially begins at 6:30 with dinner, cabin initiations and opening ceremonies! This time was extra-special because, well, you’ll see.
TODAY IS THE BEST DAY BECAUSE TODAY IS THE DAY THE CAMPERS ARRIVE! WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR YOU ALL TO GET HERE. COME CAMP WITH US!
— A-Camp (@A_Camp2013) October 9, 2013
I. ARE THEY HERE YET?
Dani RDS, Stormtroopers Counselor & Contributing Editor: I’d never been to LAX before the first camp, so Terminal 6 only has the best, most exciting associations for me. Sitting there and waiting for little queer faces to show up and get this party started is the best anticipation/excitement feeling ever. Is this how kindergarten teachers feel?
Carmen, Holograms Counselor & Contributing Editor: I arrived in LAX on Wednesday, making me the last member of staff to get up the mountain and improving upon all of my prior records of being “fashionably late.” I loved meeting everyone at Terminal Six because y’all were so cute and excited!
Sophia: The Day the Campers Arrive is my favourite day, for sure, it’s such a high of emotion and -omg, what’s ahead, all of camp! I’m so glad to meet you- And then you sleep so, so well. It’s great.
Robin: The first day of camp is always super exciting and overwhelming!
somer is ready! (photo by donna)
Marni: We were anticipating rain, but learned on arrival that we were above the snow line and that the rain would HAHAHA actually be snow.
Cee: I assured Robin that there was no way we’d be getting snow this early and that the (100% chance of snow) forecast must be totally off.
Riese: For most of the morning, my conviction that it absolutely would not snow seemed accurate.
good morning sunshine
Riese: But then things took a turn, like that part in RENT when the music is twinkling and then someone goes “and it’s beginning to snowwww….”
here comes the snow!
Riese: By this point I was safe inside with Laneia, ready to greet the fuck out of these campers.
Liz C.: Brittani and I were finishing up decorating our cabin when she heard a strangled cry from outside — like someone was being mugged — and ran out. It turned out there was no Alpine Meadows Mugger, it was just Megan making excited noises.
Megan, Program Support Coordinator: I secretly believed/hoped it would definitely snow, and finally it was confirmed that I wasn’t spitting on my face — it was snow! I’m from Southern California and live in Phoenix! Do you know how often it snows there?? NEVER IT NEVER SNOWS THERE.
Sophia: I was in Wolf standing guard at the ‘Sponsors -take a soda- Table’ when Megan popped through the door and suddenly said ‘Hey guys it’s snowing! There’s real flurries coming down!’
Liz C: Neither of us had been in real-life-falling-snow before so we were REALLY pumped even though it was still sunny out.
(via Liz C)
Liz C.: B on the other hand was not impressed with either the snow or our obnoxious excitement.
(via Liz C)
Chloe: I was slightly sick, extremely over-caffeinated, and filled with crazy amounts of nervous and excited energy, but I was sitting by the entrance to Wolf with Hansen and Mey, the snow was beautiful, and everything felt perfect.
Rachel: We had decided that it pretty much definitely wouldn’t snow, but if it did it would only be for like 5 minutes, and if it was for longer than 5 minutes it didn’t matter because it definitely wouldn’t stick. Obviously it ended up snowing for like 6 hours and accumulating about 4 inches just as our intrepid campers had to drag their suitcases through the snowy woods while exhausted and jetlagged!
(photo by robin roemer)
Bren, The Bangles Counselor & Editorial Assistant: I have never been at Camp when the campers arrived. During the only other Camp I attended I was driving a shuttle and it was the very last shuttle that didn’t get up the mountain until well into the night. To see those lovely faces with their hopes and dreams and abundance of Trader Joe’s bags was heart warming and life affirming.
Lizz: Snow fell everywhere on the ground! At first it was really just cute! Then it got sort of seriously snowy. And then it was snow-pocalypse.
Emily: Actual snow sticking to the ground and our faces! It was Narnia.
(via vanessa)
Carly: A-Camp 4.0 began like any other until it forgot to stop snowing and was henceforth known as #SNOWCAMP.
Lizz: I tried really hard to rebrand A-Camp: “Snow-Camp.”
Sophia: From then on it felt like some sort of nutty holiday, folks went from suspicious to delighted to afraid to drinking. But we had each other, and Christmas music. And Katie who brought endless hot apple cider and warmed our bellies.
(via Robin Roemer)
Crystal: I live in Australia and so when snow started to fall it was a very special and beautiful moment. Less beautiful were the industrial garbage bags that lined my shoes for the next two days.
Yvonne: Before this, I had seen snow only once in my life. It snowed on Christmas Eve/Day in 2004 in my hometown, where triple-digit temperatures are the norm and the last time snow fell was in 1895. So seeing snow (for the second time ever in my life) on the mountain when all the campers were arriving was equally magical to me for some reason. It was just surreal.
Mey, Flashdance Counselor & Contributing Editor: I could tell that it was going to be an experience totally unlike any other I had ever had.
Hansen: I didn’t have a specific role for camper arrival and I sure as hell wasn’t going to venture into the snow, so I made up a role by taking the Welcome Friends cat flag podium and putting it beside the door. Then Yvonne, Mey, and sometimes Calendar Girl Dani scared/surprised/welcomed campers as they came in and made them stand in confusing lines. I feel like we were a success, personally, or at least the Welcome Friends flag was a success.
somer really needs to get it together in this photo
Mey: We formed what was pretty much the greatest welcoming committee of all-time. Hansen looked very knowledgeable from behind the podium and I was there to provide backup as we guided all the incoming campers to the registration table.
Carly: I love when everyone starts arriving, it’s always one of my favorite camp moments. This time, Alpine looked so magical.
lovers in the snow
Lizz: Vanessa and I greeted buses which was doubly fun in the snow! Everyone was sort of mesmerized by the winter wonderland around us!
Stef: I offered to help greet the buses as they arrived with Vanessa, which was really exciting! In past camps, I’d never been able to stay on-site and greet the campers as they arrived, so this was tremendously thrilling – except for the fact that it was snowing, and none of us had brought clothes fit for anything more extreme than a slightly chilly fall night. I was wearing a pleather jacket, fingerless gloves and worn-out boots with holes in the soles. We almost froze to death, but… is it too cheesy to say our hearts were warmed when the first bus pulled up loaded with bright-eyed campers? Cos they were.
stef wearing layers
Megan: After they check in, I help show take the campers to their new homes. The little game of “Lets get lost finding your cabin together” took on a new form — one of dire survival — and became “Let’s get lost finding your cabin together in the snow while also trying not to fall.” I always fall.
Chloe: I will never forget when the second shuttle arrived, it felt like a scene right out of a movie. Watching all of the adorable smiling campers walk down the path in the snow was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
Robin: Riese and Laneia greeted campers by name, signed them in and had them choose a pronoun sticker, a new custom we implemented at A-Camp to help prevent misgendering.
Riese: I thought it’d be cute to have little color-coded pronoun stickers so that even from a distance, you would know. Some people were really confused about the pronoun stickers, I think a few people took “ze” thinking it was just a fun word to have on your nametag.
pronoun stickers in cups
Ali: Guys. I hate the snow. I hate hate hate hate it with a passion that burns with the fire of a thousand suns. But when it started snowing on the day the shuttles full of rosy-cheeked campers were due to arrive, I didn’t get my storm-cloud look. Somehow, experiencing the snow with Campers made it okay? Like, here was this different thing we were all going to do and have together.
Robin: DeAnne Smith handed out hot cups of apple cider off of a tray while my co-director, incidentally nicknamed “hot cups,” and I walked around greeting campers and taking them to their cabins!
Laneia: You think you’ve lived a whole, fulfilling life, but if you haven’t been served hot cider from a gleaming, silver tray by DeAnne Smith on a mountain with snow falling outside and the soundtrack to The Nightmare Before Christmas playing while the fireplace warms up the room WELL THEN YOU HAVEN’T LIVED.
“Do I look inviting?” (via Ariel R)
Stef: Our hearts were warmed by the cider, but also by the jar of moonshine I had snuck up the mountain. A bunch of the Gossip were on the first bus, and it was love at first sight.
Emily: For some campers, it was their first time being in falling snow EVER.
Mey: Soon Christmas lights had been hung up, Christmas music was playing and DeAnne Smith was bringing hot apple cider to everyone who came in from the cold. Outside there were people building snowmen, having snowball fights and putting on layers of clothes. It was magical.
Yvonne: It was very pretty to watch and to top it off I kept drinking gallons of cider by the fireplace in Wolf Lodge.
Crystal: I missed the arrival of many campers because I was running a craft and board game situation in Deer Lodge. Alice Motes started a game of Cards Against Humanity which was eventually abandoned for a snowball fight.
Marni: In true A-Camp fashion, everybody rolled with it and we had a relaxing, fun first afternoon with fires going, indoor games, hot cider and snowball fights.
Robin: Danielle built some adorable snow people outside of Wolf Lodge! Some campers built an amazing snow cat.
Carmen: Ultimately, it was a fateful day where Daniela, Geneva, and I talked mad shit about life in a long car ride up a snowy mountain. And it was in this moment that I was both infinite and increasingly concerned about my lack of winter wear.
Ali: As my campers (WILDCATS!) started to arrive, it was clear that the snow was going to be wonderful with them. After Camp 3.0’s Outlaws made the Nope Cat their unofficial mascot, I nearly died with delight when Reva and Cameron made a Nope-Grumpy-Cat-Snow-Creature. Basically my cabin is always wonderful. Always. Every time.
Donna, The Gossip Counselor: My first peek at The Gossip cabin campers was of them huddled together in the snow with all their bags and luggage. Instead of being somewhat grumpy about the weather and/or tired from the trip, I found them bubbling over with excitement and joy. This is when I knew they were going to be a fun group and instant friends.
Cee: I spent the time between the start of flurries until the last campers finally arrived worried about everyone on the road.
Carly: Everyone was so excited and things seemed to be going fine despite the weather… until a bus got stranded on the side of the mountain.
Riese: It was just like April camp! Except that instead of one van popping a tire on the highway and one SUV breaking down on the side of the mountain, it was one shuttle bus with smashed-in windows from um, falling ice rocks from hell or something.
Carly: I see you, #strugglebus.
Riese: We were delaying dinner in hopes the last bus would arrive, and then we were delaying cabin initiation in hopes that the last bus would arrive, but the Rescue Mission took more time than anticipated.
the broken bus
Marni: It was not the *most* fun thing we’ve had to deal with at camp so far? But the campers on board were somehow still in good spirits when I arrived to start ferrying them back to the site, despite being trapped on a bus in a blizzard on the side of a mountain in the dark, and I think that really speaks to the devotion that A-Campers have to having a good time.
Carmen: I was Geneva’s navigator during her first trip to the bus, and in the car with some of the humans from said #StruggleBus, I tried to keep everyone calm by getting them excited for our cozy accomodations at Alpine Meadows and talking about what they could expect when we got to the campsite. We agreed we could all use a drink, but we also agreed after Geneva inquired that it was in fact too soon for a mudslide joke.
Lizz: I was slightly worried, particularly because my adorable perfect girlfriend Chrissie was on that bus! Once everyone was happily back at camp drinking hot cocoa everything seemed okay. I was so impressed with how everyone on the bus just persevered and stayed upbeat. What a group of girls!
Carmen: Stef was one of the first people I ran into after the #StruggleBus chronicles had ended, and she imparted upon me the invaluable gift of a headlamp.
Dani RDS: Apple cider has the sweetest taste on the side of the mountain, in the middle of a slight blizzard, when you are sharing it with twenty three of your favorite faces.
Robin: Even though Marni had to take trips to rescue the campers who were on struggle-bus, it still felt like the perfect evening.
(photo by ariel)
Carmen: I ran around in the snow showing people around and then landed at Hologram initiation, which was a very special and 3D-glasses-filled moment in our lives. I loved all of my campers for being hilarious, amazing, and, in some cases, extremely talented illustrators. And with Sophia at my side, I knew they’d be in good hands for a great A-Camp experience – no matter which season it had rapidly become.
Sophia: Two of our campers and Carmen were on The Bus, but they arrived safe and fantastically sound at just the right moment when I was starting to feel that The Holograms believed I was 100% nuts (and the least intimidating person they’d ever met) and was maybe going to sleep on their floor after repeating the same sentence about glass outside three more times. But I love you guys. Hi Holograms you’re the best.
Crystal: As the Heartthrobs cabin, Hansen and I thought it only appropriate to initiate our campers by talking about, and looking at photos of, hot babes.
Donna: There was a love fest in our cabin. Everyone connected effortlessly and magically. Stef and I had a whole get-to-know-you initiation planned, but it almost seemed superfluous, because the campers bonded so fast and furiously! Instead we focused on the cheer. Somehow, a “bearnicorn” was born in the process and bearnicorn became the both the symbol for The Gossip and a central character near and dear to our hearts. Bearnicorn, as you may have gathered, is a mythical queer being that invokes the power of the bear (because we all know there are like, actual, real bears at ACamp) and the kick-assness of a unicorn. Katie S. embraced the bearnicorn and walked around adorned as such throughout our days and nights on the mountain. Bearnicorn will always be within us, and lurking in the shadows.
Stef: A lot of my cabin had met up in LA the day before camp, so they had an easy rapport already and didn’t need much introduction. Donna and I adored them immediately; the Gossip were some of the most hilarious, fun-loving lunatics I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Our campers immediately set about building a ridiculous bearnicorn atop Katie Spielberger’s head out of spare cabin decorations and crafting supplies, baptized each other with a blessed bottle of Jameson, and won my heart with their precious enthusiasm.
Bearicon (via Stef)
Laneia: Our elaborate cabin initiation/virgin sacrifice (jk) (or am I) had to be delayed, but the Runaways were totally cool about it and hung out with their big sister cabin, the Blackhearts, and Vanessa, our sister-mother-daughter! Then we had a really fantastic initiation and everything was beautiful.
Riese: Then we all piled into Eagle Lodge for the opening night campfire, sans campfire.
Stef: We’d never had inclement weather before (the sun has always shone brightly up on our fair queermo gathering), but this time we got to experience an indoor campfire (read: yule log on a projector).
Robin: Because Marni was running late driving car loads of campers up the long driveway to camp, and Riese was still bonding with her cabin, I was left wondering how to stall the already antsy crowd gathered for the opening night festivities.
Stef: Through sheer frostbitten delirium, DeAnne, Lizz, Robin and I had a stroke of genius. We announced our idea to the AV club and climbed on stage with very little idea of what we were about to do, but the “A Camp Blues” just poured out of us. It was a very soulful moment for everyone.
Robin: Love the spontaneous things that happen at camp, sometimes out of necessity.
Brittani: I knew the cabin Liz C. and I were charged with was a group of winners when I wanted to change the name of the cabin from Firestars to Firestarters and everyone was immediately on board. This was solidified when they echoed the same amount of jadedness and overall shade for camp cheers by refusing to actually come up with one and instead opted for possibly setting everything/everyone on fire by standing on stage with a bunch of lit lighters.
(photo by taylor)
Brittani: They went on to prove themselves way cooler than any group of humans should ever be every day and specifically, every dinner when they would have Liz and I read the notes they left in the very earnest Comments/Questions/Concerns box we’d put in the cabin the first day of camp. I’d like to think that my need for rules and order and Liz’s need to make sure everyone is happy makes us good co-counselors but we probably just lucked out with this group of campers.
Hansen: Heartthrobs cabin was clearly the best so it’s only natural that our cheer was the best. We won camp cheers. It went like this: H is for the H in Heartthrobs, E is for the E in Heartthrobs, A is for the A in Heartthrobs, R is for the R in Heartthrobs, T is for the T in Heartthrobs, T is for the other T in Heartthrobs, H is for the H in Heartthrobs, R is for the R in Heartthrobs, O is for Orange. And then my campers just ended it right there because they’re amazing and everyone was laughing too hard to hear them finish anyway.
Crystal: Jessica’s cabin cheer won our hearts and also A-Camp.
(photo by taylor)
Robin: By the time we were done singing the blues and cabins shared their cheers, we were able to introduce the entire staff and hear DeAnne’s adorable “Nerdy Love Song”.
Carly: We pulled it off and everyone had a great time and everything was okay in the world.
Bottle Service (via Carmen)
Carmen: The first night, Alice Motes and I popped a bottle in her honor – but I wanted her to get the primo treatment, so we did bottle service. It was my strongest start to this thing yet.
Marni: That first day really set the tone for the rest of camp – all week the vibe was really positive and everyone seemed to just make the best of everything and have a good time. It was definitely the most relaxed camp we’ve had, at least from a directorial perspective.
Bren:. Riese and Robin and Marni Bear and all the staff have really created something special on top of that mountain.
Cee: In the end, everything turned out ok and we had a super beautiful morning to wake up to. There’s nothing like fresh snow in the morning and it’s something I really loved about this camp.
Tune in tomorrow for the next installment in this thrilling series!
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Haven’t even read the Recamp yet, but I’m having SO MANY FEELINGS already! *scampers off to read* *Hunger Salute*
I had to skip through a lot of this and then I just couldn’t anymore. I’ll come back to it in ten minutes
I LOVE YOU MEL
I love you BOTH!
Mel I stealth read this at work…
Which turned into non-stealth when I starting having far too many feelings all over my desk.
yes this, i got so excited i couldn’t even read
I LOVE RECAMPS
THEY LOVE YOU BACK
This is wonderful. Donna and Stef nailed it on The Gossip love fest!
Which quickly spread to everyone in a 4 cabin radius :D
REBECCA’S FACE.
I REPEAT, BECCA’S FACE.
*heil clitler*
favourite things:
– that picture of sophia and monika arriving to camp dressed for entirely different weather situations
– the gossip, forever always amen
– that fucking picture of alice in the snow which may or may not be my phone’s background is that creepy
– recalling my confused feelings as i believe marni and cee to be 100% right about everything all the time, and how all through precamp marni kept telling us that the weather forecast was 100% chance of snow and that cee kept telling us there was no fucking way it was going to snow and that i didn’t know who to trust anymore, but then bunk happened and i learned to love again.
– somer and donna, just somer and donna
– the fucking bloody detached arm from party town that party town brought to camp and lost?!?! did we ever find it?!?!? do you think that lady from the kitchen found the bloody arm way after camp and just shook her head? i like to imagine she did.
Monika walking up in a light dress and Birks, no socks, in the middle of snowfall. #youknowyou’reCanadianwhen
texas vs. nova scotia interpretations of “chance of snow in california”.
the toasty love of a-camp totally kept me warm though!
I would like to respectfully request a photo of Party Town and Party Town in a future recamp! Rest assured, Stef: The severed limb was on the bus down the mountain with us! I recall the bus driver being especially not amused.
Party Town is totally sticking out of humanPartyTown’s Trader Joe’s bag in the picture of Stef greeting campers!
I had totally seen Peter Pan but hadn’t seen THE FREAKING ARM STICKING OUT OF THE BAG.
LMAO
it’s also in the picture of the bearnicorn!!
HOW DID I MISS THIS? These photos are even more perfect than I first thought.
after 5 hours of doing homework at LAX, severed party hand appeared to be an absolutely necessary and relevant thing for camp… it’s even wearing flannel!!
I request this too!
Partié towne, is this the approved spelling of your name now? Because I’m super into it.
And this was only the beginning… of the greatest week of our lives!
For me, A-Camp gave me the strength to realize that I was not being treated well by my job, and despite really wanting it to work out, no, I’m too awesome for that shit. And so between then and now, I’ve found a new job and am moving from the DC Suburbs to Chicago! And thus, somewhat closer to the next A-Camp.
And I know I’m not the only one who found themselves staring their life in the face compared to the wonder of A-Camp and said, “Fuck this shit!” And then made it better. Because that’s what A-Campers do. We reject shit and then make it better.
I AM DEEPLY MOVED, BRITTANI. I AM.
Why is it that I always cry when I read A-Camp related things?!? I’ll make it there someday, I swear!!
YES PLEASE! we can’t wait to meet you.
Thanks guys, thanks for making my cry at work.
I love you all. Seeing all of those smiles in the snow just makes all of this seem like such a dream :)))
“I’m not in this for the glory” oh my gosh stop LYING, Crystal.
THAT HEART YES
I wasn’t even at camp this time and I’m still experiencing ALL THE FEELINGS.
I AM SO SAD I WASN’T THERE. FUCK YOU TOO, PHYSICS.
Also, if you are an AS lurker and pining for A-Camp: just. go.
Also missed the Tattly announcement-hellooooo Christmas presents
Oh god, I’m having flashbacks to Dani and Emily and Chloe discussing the feminist undertones of Katy Perry songs during the trip down.
BEST.ROAD.TRIP.EVER.
I wish we had photos from that road trip.
definitely the best road trip ever!
Seconding Chloe here. You guys, Bren is a dream of a driver and the four of us brought The Gay Presence into every single gas station/bathroom/food stop along the way. Will do it again and will record everything next time around.
I hadn’t ever been to LAX until camp, so when I landed in Terminal 1, I knew which ~direction terminal 6 was in. Cleverbot that I am, I walked out the front, crossed a street, climbed a parking garage so I could read the signs on the terminals, then crossed more streets and looked at everyone like they were speaking latin when they talked about “asking for directions” or those tunnels that I guess are there. XD
Reading this in class and omg Feels why did I think this was a good idea
SO MANY FEELINGS! I have one of the awesome Blue Crush surf collage pages in my dorm room. It’s one of my favorite things ever! I miss camp so much!!!
AHHHH I MISS EVERYONE
I miss you terribly, Somer!
I just cried and then collected myself and then had to come back and started crying again. Damn it!!! I love you all so much. I love camp so much. Going to 3.0 was the best decision I have ever made. And then returning for 4.0 was the best decision part 2.
OLIVIA I LOVE YOU
#runagayheartsforlife
RIESE I LOVE YOU
VANESSA I ALSO LOVE YOU
OLIVIA I ALSO LOVE YOU
when does registration begin for the next a-camp? because this post makes me want to go more than ever
words cannot express the love I hold in my heart for snow camp/your beautiful shining faces
and this is only the recamp of the first day! I mean, the first day was pretty good. That super long game of Cards Against Humanity that Stacy and I dominated, and then everyone tried to build a snow wolf but it ended up looking like either a pig or Snowhenge, and we had a snowball fight, and I knew my beautiful cabin mates were definitely all cool after they agreed to play floor beer pong even though Abby and I were the only ones excited about it, and then we had a kind-of-spooky candle-holding circle with Lizz… but all this was just the first day, the one with all the nerves! I can’t wait to read the other recamps and relive it all moment by moment.
I’ll have you remember I was pretty excited about floor beer pong
it’s just that I expected to suck at it
Keely you rocked at floorbeerpong.
true true true. You all rocked at it though :)
HOLLA AT MY HOMOGRAMS
sophia next time i am going to carry you up the mountain in my own arms.
I will be waiting at terminal six in a bouffant gown on the cusp of a full swoon.
<3 <3 <3
HOLLA-WHAT? lol
<3
I’m at Starbucks smiling lovingly at my computer screen and I’m convinced nothing else on the internet could make me do this in the same way.
Guise it was a hard trip up the mountain for so many of you! I don’t feel worthy of using the term ‘strugglebus’ for travel problems (though I really want to now and I probably will). I’m glad I made it up there like 15 minutes before the snowfall.. Despite the fact that I forgot my purse at a gas station restroom and had to double back 15 miles for it and I was so grateful it was still there. I like to think it was a positive sign that despite all my nervousness of going to camp for the first time, the world was smiling upon me (haha) & everything would be ok.
And then everything was magical and kitten posters and DiAnneCider and softly falling snow and meeting cabinmates…
PERFECT PICTURES OF ALICE AND LINDSEY IN THE SNOW ARE PERFECT.
-Oh I forgot how much I loved the Heartthrobs cheer.
-I Love that all of the Colorado people were totally unimpressed with the snow. We were all like, yeah sure it’s pretty but I am on vacation and was trying to get away from snow in sunny California.
-I had told myself before Acamp 4.0 (my third camp) that I was going to take the next spring camp off and maybe travel someplace else. But the moment I got onto the mountain I knew that I had been lying to myself so hard. OF COURSE I AM GOING TO COME BACK TO SPRING ACAMP!
It is home and all of my favorite people are there.
Ditto for Canadians!
I noticed the Gossip cabin didn’t get mention of their decorations but I loved those freaking rainbow bands EVERY.WHERE. Donna and Stef made an amazing job of making us feel welcomed and our cabin chemistry was amazing! Seriously, WOW!
so true! the gossip cabin was like a gay christmas tree on the inside when we arrived!! stef and donna were even thoughtful enough to make sure all of our “one direction” needs are covered. I LOVE YOU NIALL, i promise to never wash that neck tattoo off
I’M SO GLAD REISE MADE A RENT REFERENCE BECAUSE THAT’S ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WHILE IT WAS SNOWING.
I AM SO GLAD I CAN COUNT ON YOU WEIRDOS TO GET MY MUSICAL THEATER REFERENCES
YES
Probably good we didn’t set camp on fire but what a way to go if we had?!
I love using my custom Firestarter lighter that Liz and Brittani made for us. I don’t smoke but every time I light incense (because I am a total hippie) I think of camp.
then we would’ve had an opening night camp fire after all!
Not gonna say that one direction poster was specifically meant for Lucia (aka Darren and manager of Every Direction) but we all know who’s bed it ended up in.
CAMP.
CAAAAAAAAAAAMP.
Oh wow so maybe I’m hyperventilating with the sheer amount of emotions I just experienced?? I haven’t smiled this much since camp! Why isn’t it May yet????
GOOD QUESTION
Also, sometimes I look at that picture of Alice and Lindsey in the snow when I’m sad. 1) Not even joking a little. 2) I’m a super weirdo.
me too. It is the cutest.
Not gonna lie. I’ve done it.
<3
The best I can do right now is scroll through the photos. I’m not ready for a serious cry yet from reading the actual words (already had one at the shrink’s today talking about how wonderful A-Camp/my time in CA was). Snow Day was absolutely the perfect beginning, since I rarely get any where I live.
I am reading this while waiting at the airport to return home from visiting friends I met at A-Camp one month ago. If you are curious about camp, or you think it might be fun, JUST GO. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. A-Campers are the most beautiful, validating, fun, smart people in the world.
Camp is more magical than you can even imagine.
Riese holding our sign is the f*ing cutest thing ever and the decorations in our cabin were perfect! (Tig in the bathroom every morning, come on!)
Laneia, your garland was amazing and someone in the cabin must have thought I needed company during my nap because I woke up with it covering me and loved it!
“…and made them stand in confusing lines” –this was true.
Kasey, I HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR YOU.
And Rachel, now I have The Runaways sign in my room which pretty much means I cry every time I walk in there.
Also.
ELVIS.
you are all such beautiful creatures
that poster has now traveled all over the world like a true runaway!
i am so happy, just knowing this
Ugh. I love this so much! I have so many things to say, so many feelings, but all I can get out is AAAHHHHHHH!
This was my first camp, and it was everything and more than I expected. Autostraddle readers and A-Campers really are the most amazing beings on this lil planet. I actually just spent a weekend in New York with a couple lovely ladies I met at camp, and it was one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time. I often feel pretty alone in this world, but you guys, you just make everything so much better. I’m so grateful for Camp and everything I learned, the people I met, and all of the most amazing therapeutic laughter. And especially for Klub Hawk!
PS. I can’t deal with Alice and Lindseys cuteness! It’s too much!
I just love all of this so much. Camp was amazing and so much more than I thought it would be. Thank you Riese for making camp a real thing and for giving me a place to find my family.
Runagayhearts <3
thank you for being a part of our family <3
Leigh you are the best little ever and it makes me so happy that you had an amazing time at camp and this recamp gave me all the feelings and I LOVE YOU ALL SO FUCKING MUCH. #RUNAGAYHEARTSFORLIFE
So how about that beautiful moment when Emily and Kaylah came in to check on the Peaches and we were coloring in coloring books and listening to “Go The F*ck To Sleep”?
Yes!!
We were pretty much already bonded by that point, and it was beautiful.
It was wonderful.
So I don’t care what anyone says, Cylons had the best initiation. I feel like we maybe terrified our counselors, but it was awesome. Put a bunch of (mostly) introverted, (mostly) supernerds in a small snow-bound place, and strange things happen.
Also, do you realize that this recamp is happening on the day that is exactly one month since prom, also known as when I first kissed/was kissed by my cute girlfriend? Feelings. Having them.
Thanks, Autostraddle!
!!!
are you and your cute girlfriend submitting to the going-to-be-so-cute couples who met at camp post?! please say yes!
Yes! We totally are :)
A++++
As a Peach that was initiated into the Cylons cabin during the strip Cards Against Humanity game, I can attest to the awesomeneess – and slightly disturbingness – of their initiation.
@erica :D + <3
(Apparently my feelings are currently best expressed in emoticons)
Er…I meant @meyrinfoot :P
Strange things indeed :-O anyway who needs counselors!
I appreciate that you shared the lyrics from the opening night songs even though they weren’t finished or performed. Very enjoyable.
Also agreeing with brittani- firestarters was the coolest cabin. I miss you guys!
Seems like Alice Motes was everywhere and doing all sorts of things.
Or, in other words, Alice Motes: omnipresent
alice motes is everywhere
nobody ever knows where carmen sandiego is, though.
It took me so many hours to read this. I had to take so many feelings breaks.
It snowed for the first time where I live and it made me have camp feels all over again so I bought a box of red wine to get through this week and the Re-Camps. I’m also really glad to learn that I’m not the only human who cries out of one eye.
re: “I might not know Ali’s birthday but I know what she looks like when she happy cries.”
I got this. It’s May 23rd. MARK YOUR CALENDARS.
Ali’s happy crying is the most amazing thing.
Oh my God. It is.
No, like, really. My birthday is May 23rd.
The first day of camp was amazing. The bus stop at Trader Joe’s was like a Portlandia scene and this adorable queer girl in front of me in line was all “who are all these people?”. She knew about A-Camp/Autostraddle, but apparently didn’t realize it happened so close to where she buys her reasonably priced organic snacks. I feel as if I, like Cee didn’t see the snow as a real situation and I packed zero warm things, but had a solid reason to invest in the new hoodie. The Stormtrooper cabin was warm and I think the snow gave us excellent bonding time. I ruined my boots, but would highly recommend SNOW CAMP FOREVER!!!
i really do wonder what the people who run that trader joe’s think about being periodically invaded by lesbians who run in, buy all the hummus and vodka and then disappear for six to eight months.
And whiskey and basically any kind of alcohol.
I imagine there is also an uptick in cookie butter sales.
Seriously, the thought of a bus load of lesbians all grocery/alcohol shopping together brings a smile to my face every time. Plus it happened 3 times in one day.
oh wow, you’re so right, can you imagine working at that trader joes when the third fucking TRUCKLOAD of lesbians rolls in
I love every single thing about a-camp and recamps and I laughed so much reading this and I am so jazzed about may camp and a-camp friends in 3d throughout the year and so much love and gratitude for such a positive, beautiful, magical experience!
#strugglebus2013
And strugglebus 2.0 but that will be in the last recamp.
strugglebus 2.0 4lyfe.
Oh mah gaaaah, I’ve been waiting all day to read this because I was at work and it’s really hard to explain why you’re grinning yourself to tears at an army construction site. But guuuuyyys, this is only the first day of recamps and I’m having too many feelings!!! ALL THE FEELINGS
I miss the mountain. I miss my queer friends. I miss honest living. (teehee, Rent)
you’ll be merry
i’ll be merry
though, merry ain’t in my vocabulary.
I just want all rent all the time.
Reading this has brought all the feels forward and made me reminisce on how magical A-Camp truly is. I held strong and didn’t cry through the article but going through the comments, seeing how much we all miss camp and wish we were back on the mountain, that got me good.
Thanks Carolyn and Dani for making me feel welcome and wanted.
Life off the mountain can sometimes make it feel like camp was so long ago. Thank you Autostraddle Team for bringing it all back and showing me it wasn’t all just a wonderful dream I wish I never woke up from.
also I kind of totally stole the Club Deer sign oops
sorry except for I’m not even remotely sorry
it looks SO GREAT ON THE DOOR TO MY APARTMENT YOU GUYS
I feel SO SAD that I am not at camp anymore. And SO HAPPY that I went. This is like being on Mt. Feelings all over again, except that there’s no crowd of Gossipers standing in the bathroom door.
#bin missing you all
Recaaaamps! The things that, without fail, make me want to go to A-camp most! Fingers crossed I can make it to the next one, because dang if you guys can manage to make driving up a hill sound exciting (and after many hours of flying no less), then I want in on that.
I really want to know when next camp is scheduled. I am usually patient. but not today. not with this.
The photos are awesome! Would want to experience snow for the first time with y’all, at A-Camp! That’ll be one of zee bestest days of my life for sure! :-)
OMG THAT LITTLE SONG BLURB. There are so many other feelings I feel that I had to just concentrate on one thing to comment about. BRB, making all of my co-workers read this thing.