I like Silver 3 and I cannot lie

This past weekend we had the pleasure of being at Camp Mendocino, a beautiful Boys and Girls Club of Sacramento camp in the Coastal Redwoods of Northern California. About a four hour drive away. REDWOODS!!! It was so restorative; being in the middle of a forest, surrounded by majestic trees, away from civilization with no cell phone reception or internet or television or anything to distract me besides the trees, the river, and my AmeriCorps (Silver 3!). Its times like these when I can really be thankful for God’s creation, when it isn’t so bogged down with human pollution and garbage. And the smell, THE SMELL, so wonderful and fresh and piney and clean and pure.

Silver Unit was at camp Thursday through Sunday morning, and we overlapped with green unit the first two days. The other units Blue and Gold had been there earlier in the week. This was a weekend filled with team and unit bonding: low ropes courses and high ropes courses, games, talks, AmerOlympics, campfires and bonding over the cold. I’m ashamed to say that I complained rather a lot about the temperature at camp, having gotten used to sunny and warm Sacramento in the 70s, the 40 degree temps at camp felt a little harsh. We were sleeping in open air cabins so things did get quite chilly at night. In spite of the cold we had a fabulous time. A girl on our team has the most beautiful singing voice and another team leader Joe from Silver 2 had a guitar and what transpired around the fire was nothing short phenomenally beautiful. Every night before bed there would several groups heading out to some open area in the middle of majestic redwoods for stargazing. The stars were stunning, and we saw many shooting stars! Definitely worth the cold.

When the time came to leave it was bittersweet. We weren’t sad to come back to warmer temperatures, and a comfy bed, but we would certainly miss the redwoods, and the freedom of being away from civilization.

I’m getting used to driving the big 15 passenger van named Kuna, currently I’m the only driver except for Amber our team leader. Soon two other boys from our team will have their driving records sent in so they will be able to drive as well.

Now we are just preparing to leave on Thursday morning for our first spike! Trying my hardest to take care of everything I can before we leave, go internet hunting and buy my tickets for winter break and the REUNIONS that will be taking place during!! A South Africa reunion in Chicago and a Bike & Build reunion in Denver. And of course a family reuion back home in Michigan. I should be home between December 22 and 28.

OH I almost forgot why I titled this post in this way. At camp each team had to come up with a chant to perform at campfire. Ours went like this: (to the tune of “I Like Big Butts”)

I like Silver 3 and I cannot lie
You other teams cant deny
When we walk in with our steel shinny boots
and the swagger in our suits
We GET THINGS DONE, son!
SILVER THREE awwwwwwwwooooooooo!!!!