day two - arrive at camp

Hi All!

I have now arrived at Camp Jewell YMCA. Connecticut is absolutely gorgeous. Lush green pastures with purple wildflowers, tall, so so pretty forests of pine - my god it is nothing like Australia, it is just like in the movies, so beautiful.
There are also these sweet little white wood houses everywhere - again, just like you see in the movies - and red wooden barns on the side of the road tucked into small lush clearings between the forest. The roads are gentle and wind through tiny townships nestled on the banks of shallow rivers, which in turn are flanked by more wooded forests. It. Is. Just. Devine.

I was picked up at the Hartford airport by one of the Ranch camp coordinators and it was an easy hour drive to the camp. Situated on the side of a lake (of which i am yet to find out the name of) are little nestled clumps of wood cabins, a large stretch of cleared grass, basketball courts to the side, pockets of pines here and there, and on the lake itself, a 20ish meter prettily arched bridge across to Chapel Island - a tiny island that is lightly wooded and has an arc of benches (forgive me a moment i have forgotten the term for the long seats in churches) where i am presuming they may hold a chapel service.

Lunch was the epitome of healthy catering - hotdogs, chips, coleslaw, gherkins, baked beans and ketchup. My fingers are crossed about dinner - i have heard whisperings of spag bol.

Mainly though, what has put me in a better state, have been the other counsellors. I was really quite nervous, but they are all very friendly and apparently us 7 Ranch counsellors will become very close (also apparently Ranch Camp, situated on the other side of the lake, is called Ranch Hotel because compared to where we are staying at the moment, it is luxury- Nice!).

Most of them live around the area and most have been either coming to camp or working as a counsellor for 10 years! There are only a couple of us who are newbies, but thats okay, i am already feeling a lot better for being round them!



At the moment i am staying in a cabin called Argos just for the next couple of days before all us ranchers trot on over to our side of the lake for training. Praise be to whoever out there cares - i have wireless in the cabin, which means i can THANKFULLY keep in touch with my missing counterparts back in Aus.

Anyway, lack of sleep calls me forth to my pillow. I have the rest of today and tomorrow to do whatever i like, whenever i like (i can turn up for meals if i want or sleep the whole time or go where ever i want on camp) and so after a snooze i plan on going for a walk in the woods around the west side of the lake this afternoon before tea.

Much love, Elise