And So It Ends…

As I sit down to write my last blog, I find myself coming full circle. After a long day of traveling, I am sitting in the Philadelphia airport only about 50 yards away from the restaurant I ate at on my way to Italy.

It was our final week of camp and we tried to make it the best week we could. Each day this week had a different theme. Monday was military day, Tuesday was superhero day, Wednesday was wacky day, Thursday was pajama day, and Friday was tie-dye! It was really fun for the kids (and us) to have a little something extra for the week. Most of the center staff was gone for the summer (either back in the states or back in the schools) so instead of my normal 8-5, I worked 9:30-6:30. I mentioned it in my last blog, but this week we lost our future sixth graders and gained the kinders going into first. I spent my mornings with the kindergarteners trying to get them adjusted to the new building and new routine! Our field trip this week was supposed to be going to the movie theater on post but since it’s been under construction all summer the kids weren’t able to go. We tried to give them a fun day still so instead of going to the movies, we had a movie day at the center on Wednesday. The kids got to choose between three movies, enjoyed popcorn, and got to snack on snows cones afterward. Unfortunately, since we were the only staff left, we didn’t have enough staff to take the kids to the pool this week. Thursday night we got to meet the Army Garrison Commander who came to the center to thank us for our time in Vicenza and coin us with a Coin of Excellence.

Friday was a really hard day for both the kids and for us. Since we had been going by our dessert names all summer, we decided to reveal our real names to the kids through one of our camp songs after lunch. We thought it’d be a great idea but it took an unexpected twist and all the kids started crying. We tried to do Pie the Counselor but only managed to get through half of us before the crying got to chaotic and we had to separate the kids. The kids managed to pull it together enough to enjoy snack and the last bit of playground time they had before we did our last closing of the summer. Closing was even worse than when we revealed our names, and more than half the kids were crying that we were going to leave. The tears were bittersweet because it gave me some peace of mind knowing we gave the kids a good summer, but it was so hard to leave them and all their sweet faces. I am going to miss them all so much (some more than others) but I know they’re in very capable hands with the center staff.

Our nights were pretty calm after work this week. We spent most of our nights just packing and preparing to leave. Taco Tuesday was on one of the other bases this week so we weren’t able to have any free tacos. Thursday night we took a little walk around base (and bought some last minute items before coming home) and then went and watched some soccer games that were happening at the soccer field behind the hotel. I switched my shift with one of the other girls on Friday so I had enough time to come back, drop my bike off, and make it to my tattoo appointment. Afterward, we finished packing and had one last get together before we all headed back.

We took one of the Army shuttles to the airport but since we’re nonessential personnel, we had to be on the 3am shuttle in order to create the least likelihood of us getting bumped off the bus for needed space. However, since the first flight of our group wasn’t until 11, we had a lot of time to kill at the airport. And, since we had to be on the 3am shuttle, we didn’t sleep the night before. Most of my friends are flying into Atlanta and it was really hard to leave them this morning. It’ll be weird not waking up to, or working with, or seeing them, or being with them every day.

So to recap, I have been up since 7:25 Friday morning, sat at the airport in Venice for seven hours, sat on the plane from Venice to Philadelphia for nine, have another six and a half hours in Philly, and have a two hour flight back into Detroit. It’ll be quite a long few days but I’m ready to get home. And as much as I’m ready to be home, I’m bummed to be leaving Italy, my friends, and my kiddos. This summer was full of ups and downs but I wouldn’t change any of it. I am so grateful for the experiences I had and the opportunities I was granted through this program. I grew tremendous amounts, gained a wonderful new group of friends, and created many magic moments this summer.

Thank you to all the staff, my fellow counselors, and my friends and family for supporting me throughout this entire process. I could not have imagined my summer without any one of you.