Katie Departs For Camp

Four and-a-half weeks after sending  J off to prep, we bid our eldest good-bye for five days.  This is not the first time that K has gone off to camp without us, but it is the first time she has left reluctantly, and I find myself feeling rather sympathetic toward her as I relax in the comfort of a dwelling replete with comfortable sofas, cozy beds, and the option to turn on the heater if the air gets too chilly.

As can happen all too often around here, I was not really paying much attention to the emotional needs of my daughter in the busy days leading up to her departure.  My focus was instead the rather extensive supply list, the packing details, and searching for those irritating items that you know lurk in some cupboard somewhere but which inevitably go into hiding the week before camp begins.  This time around it was the first aid kit,  working torches (flashlights) with spare globes, a whistle on a string, water shoes, and serious insect repellant that caused us some grief.  Eventually all items were located or purchased and placed into the duffel bag, but any conversation that happened between us did not venture further than the practical realm.  It was not until we all sat down together over Sunday lunch that she was able to communicate to us all of her concerns.

Once K began to speak, the floodgates opened, until she nearly had me in tears over all the potential grief that she might come to in the days ahead.  Her destination is Wilsons Promontory, a place we liked so much that we visited it a second time last October.  It is true, however, that shortly after our first visit in March 2011, the campground where her class will be staying flooded so rapidly that all campers were evacuated by helicopter, and the Prom did not re-open until October.  I had conveniently forgotten this, until a friend reminded me Saturday morning over an otherwise delightful breakfast of poached eggs and smashed avo on toast.  She then went helpfully on to point out that it has been raining for the past several weeks in New South Wales and northern Victoria, and that all that rain will eventually make its way to Tidal River, located at the bottom of Wilsons Promontory, which incidentally is the southernmost point in mainland Australia.  These details I did not share with K, of course, as she was distraught enough already.

What exactly was worrying our daughter?  The list was so long that I am sure I did not capture everything.  Initially I attempted to alleviate her concerns through soothing responses, but eventually I ceased this futile exercise and started taking notes on my phone.  For starters, the girls are sleeping in tents for all four nights no matter what the weather, and it is supposed to rain.  They may not have the opportunity to shower, and I wish I had a photo of K's face as she contemplated just how dirty she will feel by the end of these four days.  The insects will likely be out in full force, and as we know from thirteen years' experience, all insects love her no matter what continent or country she is in.  She was, in fact, the only girl last year to be bitten by a jumping jack, a dreaded, venomous ant.

From weather and insects, she moved on to the food they would likely be consuming.  Last year she felt she nearly starved on camp, and I can only hope that this year she will be less picky about what she eats.  The milk will be in powdered form, the cereal will be unsweetened, and here I believe I temporarily changed the subject.  She soon remembered another issue connected with food, however, and that is the threat of hungry wombats attacking their tents at night.  I was quite tempted to laugh at this point, and I did make the mistake of smiling, but apparently wombats can be quite vicious when they have acquired a taste for human food, and I had to admit that I would not be very keen to face one in the dark.

Following is a wombat we encountered at Wilsons Promontory in October of last year:

Eventually it came out that one of K's teachers spent some class time last week telling his students just how miserable they are likely to be in the coming week.  He had the misfortune of accompany girls on this particular trip last year, and I can only think that he was exacting some form of revenge by dwelling on how much he and his unwitting charges suffered under the hands of their OEG, or Outdoor Education Guide for those not in the know.  Last year, the OEG assigned to the Year 8 PLC girls insisted that all activities carry on in spite of driving rain and otherwise horrible conditions.  The girls, according to the teacher, suffered cruelly.  (It may be helpful to remember at this point that if you were to place K's classmates on a sliding scale with luxury at one end and privation at the other, most would be more comfortable at the luxury end.  I use the term suffering here somewhat loosely).

Finally, K confessed that she is going to miss us, and we certainly cannot fault her for this sentiment.  S in particular is upset as K will be away over her birthday, although she finangled this detail to her advantage by convincing us to let her open her presents two days early.  In spite of a late night due to anxiety, K was up well before dawn this morning for one last hot shower, and she allowed herself plenty of time to straighten her hair.  Hair straighteners were not on the packing list, nor for that matter were ipods, mobile phones, e-readers, and other items so important to her young life. We hope and pray that her experience will be much more positive than she expects, and that Tidal River does not flood.

Here is K last year at the end of her first outdoor education camp experience.

And last night, as she sat contemplating camp amidst the gift-opening flurry:

And a couple of weeks ago, in a happier frame of mind:

Comments

[Suzanne]

Oh my, I do not envy Katie! Hearing about this event has, however, ended at least one of my kids wish to be schooled in Australia.
I sure hope the sun comes out and gives her and her classmates at least one nice day!
On a side note, I heard someone say recently that if you eat garlic every day then biting insects and animals (snakes) will stay away. Haven't tried to prove that as it also keeps people away. But it may be worth a shot for situations such as this! Hope the week goes quickly for her.

[Shanda Ives]

Oh my goodness, bless her heart. And yours, too. This was so funny to read, but only because I already read the post that relates her adventures and know that all was well. Hugs!