The Adventures of Erika 2: At PKRC as a Volunteer, instead of a Camper

    This year I had the pleasure of going to Peaceable Kingdom as volunteer instead of a camper. Sarah, two weeks before attended Out on a Limb Camp alone this year, without me and danced on the stage for the first time, without me and graduated. Two weeks later I went to PKRC without her, and this time to help and to be apart of the behind the scenes of the next camp. It was weird driving myself to the Kingdom, as we like to call it. It was weird pulling in to those welcoming gates without having my mom or sister in the car as we did for so many years of my camp life. It was welcoming getting out of the car and smelling the air that PKRC always had. So many memories came out of no where, as I remembered each year of being a camper getting out of our white car and smelling the same air and hearing the familiar laugh of one man, who I swear was always laughing. Although I didn't hear this laugh when I got out of the car as a volunteer, the memory of this man and his joyful laugh was very much alive in my head. Scott Simmonds, the former owner of PKRC had a huge impact on me while I was a camper, him and his beautiful family. Perhaps it was this that made me think of him every time I entered the Kingdom.
   I was greeted by a new staff member who was literally the only one there because the other staff members were gone at dinner or at the theaters. I talked with Dylan, who was two years new and showed up 10 minutes after I arrived, about previous summers and great memories. The staff started showing and up and all greeted me with hugs, even the new ones!!
   Camp Teen Challenge is a camp for kids who have vision impairment. They have a hard time seeing things, or their eyes are in constant motion, or they are fully blind.

I had the pleasure of making these two kiddos laugh the whole week as I attempted to take picture.

I was given the chance to show campers how to do archery...

and then see the joy on their faces when they, after many attempts of archery, finally make the bulls eye. I think I may have been more excited then they were.

I got the pleasure to talk with this young lady and hear about all the goals she plans to accomplish, hear her guitar skills and talk photography with her.

This kid had the pleasure of messing with my braid and thinking it was the coolest thing he'd seen. He was always smiling which caused me to smile!

This young lady was a true leader. You know the phrase "it's like the blind leading the blind"? Well, I can no longer use it the way I use to because of this courageous lady. She is almost fully blind, but the whole week of camp she spent time helping other campers with their meals and leading them to their seats, feeling her way through crowds and seeing with the little sight she has. Way to go girl.

I had an absolute blast that week hanging out with wonderful inspiring kids, being apart of behind the scenes activities, and reuniting with the PK staff.

I got to be a judge for the talent show with Michelle, Cody and Laura. Michelle and i were conjoined twins.

We are a crazy bunch!!

So after having a great week getting to know cool kids, Cody (the guy in the hat) decided to stay another week, which then made me want to stay another week. I didn't think it would be possible due to work and other things but I decided to give it a shot. I called my boss and she actually let me off for another week if I came in on Saturday night to work. To which I gladly said yes almost dropping my phone with excitement. After coming home for the weekend, working, and driving back to PKRC I had the pleasure of staying another week for Camp HD2.

HD2 is a Camp for kids/teens with hand differences. It is one week of their lives where they spend at PK feeling free to not cover their differences, feeling free to joke and be as crazy as they can. And that they were. These teens were so much fun and energetic, filled with so much life and joy!! They were literally like a family. They watched each others back during the week and made sure the person not dancing is dancing.

Dance parties were the best. They released their never ending energy and put huge smiles on their face.

One of the campers spent her weekend making these for the first day of camp and was super excited to share them. It was the year for Olympics so why not these colors.

The campers split up into 4 teams and boy were they competitive.

Each day, different teams flags would hang in the lodge as the teams progressed.

I once again got to teach archery and see the joy of their faces when they made it on the target.

I think talent show night was my favorite night. This kid was super creative and funny that he decided to imitate how a rain drop reacts when it falls from the sky. The audience couldn't stop laughing.

These teens reenacted all the staff members to the crazy game called Poky Mon. The most creative thing ever seen at PK.

This young lady has been going for years and this was her last. For talent show night she sang a song called "The Climb" by Miley Sires. A song which has always made me cry, a song that was song on my best camp friends last year. There were no dry eyes in that theater.

These are all the graduates for HD2.

Baby Charlie award given to this awesome camper!!

Overall, these two weeks spent at PK were worth every minute, every hour, every day out in the sun, every walk or hike, every picture, and so much more. I can't wait to do it again.

There are no words to express how wonderful it was to spend time with the staff. Tommy (on the right) has been at PK for I believe 20 years. Michelle was a PK staff for a long time, left and now has come back for good. Laura has also been here a long time and has done a fabulous job running it. And she so funny.

I can't remember this guys name, but he's a new grounds keeper and was super fun to talk to!

This crazy bunch dressed up on the night we performed live clue. I was on Camera duty.

I had the pleasure of getting to knew this guy and teasing him like crazy. Once the first camp ended we all as staff headed out to get dinner after cleaning up. I got to drive him and Melissa to Chedders and got to know both of them better.