Arts & Crafts, High Ropes, Wall, Swim

Day 2

The night before, our cabin decided what morning activity we wanted to do. You have the choice of answering trivia at Wake N Wind, going on the Morning Hike or entering enlightenment in yoga with Puppy Monster. As usual, I chose the morning hike like last year. After hiking on a trail wrapped around the camp grounds in my footy pajama's and bunny slippers I was completely awake to do the Sunshine Dance. No matter what, I always have to do the Sunshine Dance FULL OUT, whether I'm in my bedroom or I hear the song playing at the mall or I'm actually at camp (feels less ridiculous when everyone around me is doing it too)!

Once all the cabins were lined up by the bell it was time to do the Sunshine Dance. My friend Marissa and I were chosen to do the Sunshine Dance in front of everyone, since we're such pro's, to demonstrate to the new campers how it's done! Afterwards, we sat down waiting for our number to be called intoxicated by the delicious camp smells of breakfast. Breakfast is my absolute favorite meal of the day at camp! I always over load on the fresh fruit and, how great is it to start the first day of activities with fluffy pancakes and sausage!

YUM!

On the Morning Hike with Aries

Obviously... we haven't done the Sunshine Dance yet

My footy pajama wearin' counselor, Izzy!

Known these girly's for two years; Sammy and Marissa!

Once we finished breakfast it was time to go back to our cabins and attempt the title of Clean Cabin Queens. I have never gone to camp and NOT won Cleanest Cabin Queens so I was a determined little rascal to really kiss up to the med nurses once again this year. After sweeping and placing our shoes into the shape of a heart, we left for our first activity, Art's & Crafts. I made sure to pack a white t-shirt since we were tye -dying shirts this year in Art's & Crafts. I used yellow and blue to make green and I just sprinkled that all over my spiral looking shirt. As of the moment, I don't know if it will turned out good or not but all I do know is that I am definitely wearing it on the last day of activities just because it's lime green!

After giving the Art's and Crafts ladies a bit of a fail camp appreciation we left for the High Ropes Course! Last year, I made it my goal to stand up on the Eagles Perch but I ended up just sitting up there. I don't know why I'm so undefeated by this wobbly telephone pole, but it's completely different when you're actually up there looking down at your cabin cheering you on. This year I had to conquer this thing... it wasn't just a want, IT'S A NEED! I was the first one to volunteer to go first and my belayer, Zoe, was so energetic and reassuring I can do this! It didn't take me long to get up there, but it took me awhile to move both my feet to the surface. Personally, after you have one foot there and you just have to rely on gravity for two seconds while getting your other foot there is the hardest part. That's when I feel like I'm going to fall BUT I'M NOT! My adrenaline was rushing but I kept telling myself, "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FALL! YOU'RE ON A HARNESS! CMON', MOVE THAT FOOT!!" I guess my pep talk worked because I managed to stand on top of the Eagles Perch for a firsty! I was doing the Sunshine Dance, the Squirrel Dance, and shaking my booty while up there but once I lost the feeling in my legs from shaking so bad I figured it was time to come down.

Going up...

Half way there!

Just chillin ;)

After accomplishing my biggest goal for this year, I was ready for anything! I decided to do the Rigidy Bridge and the Catwalk before Lunch.

Made it across the Rigidy Bridge!

#YOLO

Meditation really does exist!

Strutting across the Catwalk!

The bell rang for lunch and I was so ready to eat and relax during Quiet Hour. After that much activity, all I wanted to do was lie down in my bunk before our next activity which was the rock wall. The rest of my cabin was focused on finishing first for this competition to do specific, silly tasks like telling YNOT, "Hey, I'm allergic to bacon..." or asking Ooops, "How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a woodchuck would Chuck Norris?" or showing Flipper some amazing hair flips as our best "flip" and in return get a counselor's signature. So far, we are the cabin with the most signatures so we were so confident we were going to finish first to win the mysterious prize!

It seemed Quiet Hour didn't last very long considering I was still tired but I was soon ecstatic once I remembered the rock wall was our next activity! Two years ago, I made it to the top of the wall in 45 seconds. Last year, I made it to the top in 36 seconds. I'm pretty satisfied with my record, so I went up the wall once, recited a quote and supported the rest of my cabin as they went up the rest of the time.

Our next activity was swimming at the waterfront and I was probably most excited about this activity since we were with Senior 2 and Ketch. After jumping on the trampoline with the littliler ones and chillaxing in the water with the other cabins I was freezing and ready for Shower Hour! Before heading towards girls camp, my boyfriend and I were talking about the dance, which led to him going down on one knee and asking me to the dance with his lovely offering of quartz.

What a gentleman! :)

After he totally made my day, I skidaddled to our cabin for Shower Hour and got ready for dinner and tonight's evening activity. I'll never forget my counselor, Mrs. Boinic, staring at me while I curled my hair. A couple of the girls who were in my cabin last year recalled how I did their makeup which I did again for them this year (which might be why I have a sty on my eyelid the size of a tic tac. Future reference, don't share makeup)! I would say my red and white striped shirt, my American flag shorts and shades along with my blue and white eyeshadow matched the theme well since tonight's theme was all about the Olympics. Our last delicious meal of the night led to an Olympic competition. A team composed of multiple cabins would compete in several obstacles against the other teams. I think our team had a bit of a disadvantage since we only had two other cabins with us, Tugboat and Monsoon (which I may add are two of the younger boy cabins), while everyone else had a team consisting of four cabins. Despite that, I think we did an excellent job Team Alpha Awesome! 

A few of ladies in Schooner!

Even though Team Alpha Awesome didn't win, our name still implied that we are awesome! The night was coming to end and we returned to our cabins for cabin closing. This time my high's of the day was accomplishing my biggest goal by reaching the top of the Eagles Perch and having my boyfriend propose to me on the beach. That was just so sweet! My low's? Pretty sure there are no such thing as a "low" at camp!

It's Better Than The Happiest Place On Earth

Before I get into details about my first day returning to camp, I would just like to thank the Nick and Kelly Foundation and all the sponsors of Camp Del Corazon. I feel like thank you isn't even that expressive of a word to show how appreciative I am, so it will only be proper to show my appreciation in a camp orderly fashion...

Camp Appreciation:

*pat pat*

*clap clap*

*snap snap*

YYYEEEAAAAHHH!

I'll approach this like I approached this last year, one day at a time!

Day 1

If there's one thing I learned to change from last year is to meet Nick and Kelly at the airport earlier. The line grows so fast and I always get there when there's already 100 other kids in line. So, I set my traditional camp alarm, with Blame It On The Boogie as the ringtone, for 3:30 a.m. As early as that is and considering the morning person I'm not, I still managed to wake up before my alarm due to the amount of excitement building inside me! After I got dressed, triple checked my luggage, toasted some Toaster Strudel's my mum and I were out the door in a jiffy. Even though I woke up earlier, left the house sooner with no traffic to sit through, there were still about 50 kids ahead of us, including my boyfriend! 

I was so caught up with seeing all my friends again (and being interviewed for the first time) that I forgot to say good-bye to my parents! And to a shocking delight, Lindsey returned to camp (I guess that's not a huge shocker since there isn't one camper I know who wouldn't want to go back)! I met Lindsey last year and introduced her to CDC after I found out that she is twelve years old and hasn't met anyone else with a heart condition. If I was left thinking I was alone in the world battling for my life than I KNOW my whole attitude would be completely different!

Everyone at Camp Del Corazon is the same. We all have our own personal war stories, different battle scars and we just understand one another because we all have been there, done that which unites us into one big Corazon family! 

Once we were settled into our traveling groups and passed through security, we were 600 feet in the air and eating stratosphere breakfast in no time. We definitely didn't waste any time! After we landed at the John Wayne Airport, we took a group picture and were at the boat dock after a thirty minute bus ride. Once we  got there we were introduced to our cabin!

Schooner Girls!

Last year, my cabin was Cutter. This year, my cabin is Schooner and I already knew three girls who I had in my cabin last year. There were five of us from Arizona; Sammy, Selena, Victoria, Marissa, and myself. The other three girls were from California, Kasey, Katelyn, and Brianna. My counselors this year were Kokopop, Mrs. Bionic, Flipper and Izzy along with our favored fanny pack lady, Miffy, our med nurse (who was also my med nurse last year).

After waiting for our luggage to be loaded on to the boat, we loaded ourselves and were finally heading to Catalina Island! The boat ride took a couple hours, but time fly's when your catching up with old friends. You never notice how close you are to the island until you start slowing down and you can spot the girl cabins from a distance.

After high fiving all my favorite counselors leading to the Dining Hall, we went over all the rules and procedures of composting, lost items, boundaries, which cabin eats first, and all that fun stuff. After eating the first of many delicious meals, we headed towards C's Hut to pick up our luggage and settle into our cabins.

(Note to Self: Next year put something really obvious and eye captioning on your suitcase so a counselor doesn't have to assist you in finding you're suitcase out of the twenty others that look exactly like yours)

Everyone in my cabin knows this place frontwards, backwards, upside down, and inside out so the Camp Tour was a breeze. After the camp tour was dinner, another scrumptious meal, which was leading to Disco Bingo. Unknowingly, I brought the perfect 70's outfit to wear for a night of personal parties and conga lines. I've yet to win a bingo under any category so I'm hoping I'll get some kind of graduating camper luck for my last year as a camper.

Sammy <3

Aries <3

Once Disco Bingo was over it was time to go back to our cabins to pass out from a long day of traveling and excitement. For our first cabin closing we named off each our personal goals for this year. My goals was to stand on top of the Eagles Perch during high ropes and to get thirds at least once and still manage to be apart of the Clean Plate Club(CPC). After our counselors left for their Staff Meeting, my friend Sammy jumped in my bunk and we all stayed up talking and laughing about simple things until a counselor came in and told us we're keeping the entire girl's camp awake... Highly doubtful but it made us go to sleep.

The next day was the first full day of activities at CDC!

The Clash of Individuality

I really need to stop with the pessimistic posts... I blame my cynical mind. 

Although, focusing on the negatives of any situation is so much more easily tempting, it isn't worth the thought process. There is always a bright side in any situation, including the sour pickle I'm in. So instead of continuing with my depressing poetry and ranting I thought I would switch it up. Unlike last time, when I talked about 'what qualities or traits I would change about myself' I thought I would talk about what qualities and traits I pride myself on. 

I would firstly list my optimism. It may sound contradicting considering I also think of myself as a cynic, however, I rely on my positive thinking far more than my negative thinking. I try to find the bright side to any situation and help others going through difficult situations (only if they ask for my advice of course). In the end, everything just turns out better when you have the right "positive" attitude. 

Being sixteen and in high school, I'm constantly surrounded by drama llamas. So I often pride myself on how simply I refrain from drama. Drama is definitely up there in my top 10 of things I have a strong dislike for, along with algebra, bananas, and popularity hierarchy. I just find drama so unnecessary and immature. I'm never the starter of drama, unfortunately, I always seem to find myself as a third person party in someone else's frenzy. If a friend has a problem I will most definitely help them out in anyway I can, but there's still an over crossing line to where I don't want to be involved anymore. 

I'm also a very ambitious person. I love making goals for myself and planning my future (as much as I can plan that is). By knowing my career path, what college I want to go to, where I want to live and all that spectacular independence stuff gives me the motivation I need whenever I'm in the hospital to get back to my normal life. Not only motivation but reassurance I'm going to have a future which I'll make sure I will.

You could say I'm a judgmental person. I would never judge someone by their clothes or what other people label them as but more on the decisions they make. People tell me I have good instincts whether someone is a good person or not. I choose my friends very wisely which is why I have a particularly small group of close friends and a rather large amount of acquaintances. Which I don't mind; I prefer to surround myself with intellectual, genuinely caring people. 

There are always qualities we wish we could change about ourselves but can't. But we wouldn't be considered human without our "wonderful" imperfections. We may have those disagreeable qualities clashing with our likable qualities but at least we can say that we all have likable qualities in the first place. 

The Sixteenth Alliance

Today... On Saturday, June 23, 2012 we celebrate the birth of Jason Mraz... Oh and myself!

I began feeling sixteen ever since my Sweet 16 Party but now that I'm officially apart of the alliance of sixteen year old's, what can I say? I guess I have more bragging privileges...

Driving woot woot! (even though I probably won't get my license until I'm seventeen considering I haven't even earned my permit yet)

Time to rule high school as an upperclassman!

I get to finally begin the dreadful college hunt...

My first paycheck when I finally get a job next summer.

Not to forget about Junior Prom near the end of the school year!

So yeah, you could say sixteen shall be a memorably year. When I was about eight years old, I remember thinking being sixteen and in high school would be so grand! For future reference, turning sixteen doesn't trigger a huge life transformation process... How disappointing.

Personally, I think the most crucial ages would be 16, 18, and 21. Driving, voting, and drinking... duh! Although, being allowed to drink doesn't bring me any more independence than I have today. Firstly, because you know me, always getting wasted at parties every weekend. <-- Lies! Secondly, obviously with two heart transplants, drinking is prohibited along with smoking cigarettes and getting high (clearly that's the best way to live).

Since I already celebrated my birthday like total A - listers, today I celebrated my birthday with my boyfriend. We went swimming , ate pizza and cake, and watched Lord of the Rings. As any normal couple would do...

In other news...


Next weekend I'll hopefully be heading out to California on Friday to attend the annual UCLA Heart Transplant Picnic. Even though I'm not a current UCLA patient, I still miss my cardiology family and I'll be able to finally meet Jennifer (my heart transplant buddy) in person! Along with attending the picnic, I'll hopefully also be visiting another hospital, Cedar Sinai, to talk to cardiac patients with my friend Bill Sears. Bill Sears is my friend who is behind the Shelby Cooper bracelets and he was the first positive influence in my life after I was told I needed a second heart transplant in 2009. He has been living off his transplanted heart for thirty-one years and is still at perfect health for being seventy-two years old. Other than that, I'm hoping we'll have enough time to visit my family who lives in Long Beach and possible go to the beach...


What can I say? I'm a California Girl at heart! 

HaPpY BiRfDaY tO mE!

Other than that... Summer school.

Make-A-Wish Royalty

Well I'm back to reality...

This past weekend I've been living the dream at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel celebrating my Sweet 16 on Friday, May 25th. Before I even go into details, I would like to thank the Arizona Biltmore staff for making this experience the ultimate hotel experience that I will never forget! I would also like to thank the Make-A-Wish Foundation; without the amazing volunteers and the generous donations of ordinary people my incredible Sweet 16 party would not have been possible! And lastly, I would like to thank everyone who attended my bash! It wouldn't have been a birthday if I didn't have my wonderful friends to celebrate it with me!

My day began the minute I woke up when I realized I was in a grand suite and not my bedroom. After I showered and ate breakfast in the hotel restaurant, my mum and I traveled to the Pucci Salon to get our hair, nails, and makeup done.

Ideal Party Makeup: A purple smokey eye with a neutral shimmery lip color and enough cover up to hide my acne ridden face.

Ideal Party Hairstyle: I definitely wanted an updo, but choosing one was so difficult! After I flipped though a styling book, I finally decided on a braided, somewhat messy updo.

Ideal Party Nails: My dream was to have a royal flush on each hand(Ace on my thumb, King on my pointer finger, Queen on my middle finger, Jack on my ring finger, and a Ten on my pinky). Unfortunately, this salon didn't master in nail art, so I settled on a purple to match my dress and a sparkly gold top coat.

Three hours later I was feeling like a total princess even without the ballgown.

We had a car drive us back to the hotel so I could begin the transformation process from ordinary to royalty!

Once I was dressed, we met up with my grandparents who drove five hours from Palm Desert just to be apart of my special day. The plan was to have all my friends meet up in my hotel room and then a limo would pick us up, drive us around a couple blocks, drive us to the ballroom where my party was being hosted and we would make our grand entrance on the red carpet! While in the limo, my friends and I were having a little pre-party by fist pumping, drinking "champagne", and taking pictures. Once I stepped out of the limo, the first thing I saw was a huge crowd of all my friends cheering and the Dj welcoming me by announcing my name as I walked on the red carpet.

The Biltmore planned my party far more superior than I could ever imagined. The ballroom was dark and tinted green with stars bouncing all over the place. One side of the room was completely dedicated to a huge food buffet with macaroni, chicken strips, french fries with assorted dipping sauces, tacos, a chocolate fountain, and the delicious indulgences(I tip my hat off to you, Chef Todd). The opposite side was composed of a photo booth with fun props for everyone to take pictures along with blackjack, roulette, and craps tables. And in the middle was the Dj booth in front of a big dance floor surrounded by round tables.

Six hours sure went by fast! I was preoccupied the whole time by trying to greet ALL my guests, and if I didn't get to their table I surely met up with them on the dance floor during the Cha Cha Slide, the Cupid Shuffle, Cotten Eye Joe, or Macarena. When I wasn't "busting a move" I was taking pictures with all my friends at the photo booth, although, I'm sort of upset I didn't get pictures with EVERYONE! If anything, I wish I was in a little more pictures(what can I say, I love being in front of the camera).

The crown adds to my princess-ness!

Love this photo!

Some of my favorite people!

My Wonderful Wish Granters!

My CDC Girls!

We're the... five best friends that anybody could have! <3

Le Boyfriend <3

Just a few out of the 275 photo booth pictures taken at the party...

During class I would always daydream about my cake and design what I wanted it to look like. But once again, my dreams were far exceeded when I saw a much better designed cake of spongy goodness! You could describe the cake as kooky? The baker incorporated all my ideas like edible playing cards, scattered poker chips, and a huge dice. After a couple hours passed by, all my friends and family sang happy birthday to me and I cut my cake which was more difficult than it needed to be, since the cake was sort of lopsided I was afraid of tipping it over. Thankfully I decided to cut on the most level tier of cake and successfully pulled out a slice of chocolaty superiority!

After my parents made a heartwarming toast and the Dj dedicated the song Firework by Katy Perry to me, because he thinks the lyrics best describe my personality, the regular lights were turned on and it was time to say our goodbyes. I didn't want the night to end, but if the night didn't end sooner or later then I think my voice would've vanished from screaming lyrics while dancing and my feet would have fallen off from partying too hard.

Unless I'm at camp, I don't think I've ever had that much fun! If I had to repeat any day of my life than it would definitely be Friday! Except the second time I would make sure to eat more food, "gamble" at everyone's game table, and take more photos with my boyfriend and everyone else I didn't get pictures with.

How will my wedding possibly top that spectacular of a night!?(better start saving)

A wish well spent! And again, I would like to thank everyone from the Make-A-Wish Foundation and all the Arizona Biltmore staff for any contributions! This party meant the world to me and now it's a memory I will never EVER forget! Not even when I'm eighty years old and can't even remember five minutes ago, than hey, I'll always have scrapbooks!

An Idea Has Sprung

A couple weeks ago I attended Relay For Life to support those battling cancer, those who have survived it, and to honor those who have lost their lives to this disease. It's an overnight fundraising event which takes place around the globe. 

Not that cancer is not a worthy cause, I support it 100%, but living with heart disease my whole life, and meeting others kids with CHD, earns more of my respect. Personally, I would rather be apart of the American Heart Association community than the American Cancer Society. Let's not forget that CHD does not have a cure either. After all, heart disease is the leading cause of deaths in both men and women. In 2010, Coronary Artery Disease(the most common kind of heart disease) alone projected to cost the United States $108.9 Billion. This total includes the cost of health care, medications, and lost productivity. 

After experiencing Relay for Life once again I began thinking; what if there was a fundraiser out there, that was just as world-wide as Relay for Life? But not for Heart Disease... after being a heart transplant recipient my whole life, my focus is on Organ Donation. I believe people are more clueless about the importance and impact of Organ Donation.

 Just to state the facts...

Each day an average of 70 people receive transplants, however, about 18 people will die each day waiting for an organ that can't take place due to the shortage of donors. 1 organ donor can save up to 8 lives, and there are about 100 million donors in the U.S today, but let's not forget about the 2.5 million lost lives in 2007. 

The purpose of this Organ Donation fundraiser would be to celebrate those living life who have also endured transplant(whether it was an eye, liver, or HEART transplant), raise money for a cure of rejection, and of course, give people the opportunity to give the gift of life by becoming an organ donor. Because the reality is, the number of candidates waiting continues to decrease the number of organ donors available, and only you can change this! 

Like Relay for Life, this Organ Donation fundraiser would reach out to a teenage audience, like myself. The younger you learn, the wiser you become.  

Sources:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Centers of Disease Control and Prevention

Heart Transplantation Compelling Advocacy

This weekend I participated in Relay For Life to help fund raise and support cancer. It was an overnight fundraiser and throughout the entire night someone must be walking around to show 'cancer never rests'. The weather was perfect and many of my friends were there. In the end I managed to pull an all nighter and catch bronchitis. Missing three days of school the week three major projects are due, plus homework? I predict my mind going insane!! I was prescribed an inhaler by my pediatrician and I have a Chest X-Ray scheduled tomorrow morning just for precautions...

Thanks immune system. 

Anyways, about a week ago, a girl named Jennifer emailed me. This girl, who co-wink-a-dinkily is the same age, same grade, and has the same heart condition as me, stumbled upon my blog. She will soon be listed for a Heart Transplant due to Cardiomyopathy at UCLA Medical Center, just like me! Not only will she be transplanted at the same facility I received my first Heart Transplant, but her transplant cardiologist used to be mine as well. I'm proud to say I'm officially what you call a, "Transplant Buddy".

My blog showed her; people, particularly teenagers, with heart transplants are not all restricted. Our lives may involve medications, possible rejection, and long hospital visits, but we know how to appreciate and live our lives to the fullest. We go to school, participate in sports, apply for jobs, and go out with friends just like everyone else. By simply documenting my life experiences in a positive way, gave this girl hope in a way. It showed her; a heart transplant isn't a burden, but a gift. And it showed me; continue blogging because you never know who is impacted.

If she asked anyone for advice, besides her cardiologist, I would be the perfect person with heart transplant wisdom. Not to sound presumptuous, but I have gone through the experience... twice.

I've seemed to narrow my heart transplant knowledge to five crucial tips of compelling advocacy:

Positive Thinking: If you have the wrong mental attitude than I believe you'll be waiting longer for the call. After waiting for what seems like forever, it is very likely to become depressed. My twelve year old self was on the verge of becoming depressed because I was tucked away in the Ronald McDonald House all the time. Don't repeat what I did... which steers me to my next recommendation.

Entertain The Mind: This has to be the most important advice I could give to someone waiting for a transplant. It's obvious you will be waiting for some time... Who knows how long you'll be waiting for the call, but you already fathom the three month rejection period will be three months of isolation. Don't make this experience so boring and... dejecting. You will have oodles of downtime so do as much as your cardiologist will let you!

- Take up new hobbies
- Learn an instrument
- Go shopping
- Sports? Depends on your heart health on whether you can or not.
- Volunteer
- Go outside
- Join a gym
- Eat whenever you're bored
- Chillax with friends
- ANYTHING!

Blogging or Vlogging: Starting a blog or begin vlogging on Youtube would be something I wish I did while waiting Pre and Post Transplant. It's a great way to express yourself and it occupies your mind! Gotta admit, looking back at the blog posts or vlog entries would be interesting to relive compared to your life long after transplant.

Anxiety: Anyone would be scared about the actual operation. If you're not scared of cheating death than you're insane! Asking the transplant surgeons about the operation would probably scare you more...

It's not as scary as you think...

The experience is like an unimaginative painter... A colossus of different colors to paint with but still ending with a blank sheet of paper. Every time I try to recap myself about transplant my mind just draws a blank. I literally don't remember anything from meeting my anesthesiologist to three days after the operation. So it's easy to say you will be very comfortable going in and out of the operating room until you regain consciousness. After the operation, from what I can remember, was super uncomfortable!

I didn't want to move around in bed to stretch my diaphragm the slightest bit. Yet, I still managed to walk around the whole ICU the next day.

I had an ivy in my neck which contributed to my raspy voice, which made it hard to inquire water or chapstick. Luckily, I could still write out my demands...

I never had an appetite unless water and saltine crackers were the only things on the menu. Redeeming my appetite probably took the longest, but I got to the point where I was 89lbs and eating a cheeseburger a day.


Attend Camp Del Corazon: If you think you're alone with taking anti-rejection med's, dealing with annual biopsy's, and living with a scar down your chest than you must attend Camp Del Corazon because it shows you otherwise. Camp Del Corazon is an annual summer camp only for kids(age ranging from 7 - 17) with heart defects. Not only is CDC the BEST experience ever but it also gives you the opportunity to meet plenty of other kids, around the same age, with heart problems. After being apart of this amazing community, you realize a heart transplant (CHD in general) is nothing to be ashamed of, nor a burden, but an amazing gift! In fact, I rather have heart problems just so I can attend this camp! If you're not between the ages of 7 - 17 than you could always volunteer as a counselor!

This is just the beginning of my need-to-know list for awaiting heart transplant recipients. I was able to sum up my guidance, but there is still oodles I could talk about! But for now, I wish Jennifer the best along with any other awaiting heart transplant recipients!

Harry Potter marathon tonight...

My personal Cloud Nine!

In case the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE doesn't happen...

I said next time I would post a list of new goals for the upcoming year. Of course, I couldn't think of everything I plan to accomplish in 2012, since I'm more of a go-with-the-flow kind of person, but I think these are reasonable goals.

GOALS FOR 2012:

• Volunteer at PCH (Phoenix Children's Hospital) over the summer: I've been wanting to volunteer here for several years, and I came close this past summer. Instead, I volunteered at a Senior Center delivering meals to disabled/ elderly peoples houses. PCH has a summer program for high school students, although, I think you can only participate if you're 16 years of age or younger.
• Save money for next year's Christmas: This year I was so stupid and didn't save any money to buy gifts for my friends and family. I hate asking my parents for Christmas money, since they have their own Christmas shopping to worry about. 
• Apply for a job at the golf course: I have more job possibilities in mind, but this is my number one job idea. I have to be at least 16 with a drivers license to work here, so I'm thinking next summer. 
• Create the CDC mural: I'm not sure if "mural" is the correct term to what I have in mind, but what I plan to do is buy gigantic wooden letters from Hobby Lobby or Michaels spelling out C D C. Inside each letter will be a collage of photos from all my years attending Camp Del Corazon. Once I'm finished, I'll hang it up in my room to remember all the fantastic memories at the best place on Earth.
• Learn the ukulele: For Christmas my sister gave me an Amazon.com gift card for $25. I looked online for a ukulele and found one for $14.99. It seems I'm going to be receiving something in the mail soon. 
• Blog on a regular basis: SELF-EXPLANATORY.
• Plan a Sweet 16 with Make-A-Wish: During the summer my family contacted the Make-A-Wish Foundation so I could attend the Harry Potter premiere in New York, meet the HP cast, and vacation in New York for a week (because I'm that obsessed with the series). Apparently, there wasn't enough notice to plan something so extravagant. So instead of a Harry Potter related wish, I changed it to a Sweet 16 Bash. It would relieve all the financial stress off my parents and I wouldn't have to limit myself once I start planning. We should be contacting them in the next week or so...
• DRIVER'S LICENSE: *Cue the Star Wars Imperial March theme song* Though I'm super excited to finally have more independence with the ability to drive, I fear for others that I might kill someone on the roads someday. Permit test next week. NO EPIC FAILS!
• Attend LeakyCon 2012:  LeakyCon is the biggest Harry Potter convention and I think it's taking place in Chicago. If I can get a couple of other Harry Potter obsessed friends to save money with me I would love to go next year!
• Start a bank account for college funds: Maybe my parents already have an account started for college, but once I get a job(hopefully over the summer) I would like to start saving since who knows how much I have saved, if anything.
• Compete in more figure skating competitions: Although, I dread the competition feeling and atmosphere, it's good practice and it's even better when you win 1st place.

These were the first aspirations that came to mind for 2012. I have another 365 days to complete my mission of life. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, I know I did. My family is so dorky, but that's why I love them.
Sophisticated families are just gross. 

Shelby Cooper Bracelet

In December, one thousand Shelby Cooper Bracelet's are going to be made and shipped from China. What is the Shelby Cooper bracelet? If you keep reading you shall know:

My friend Bill Sear, had a heart transplant and has been living off his heart for ten years and more! He finds me such a positive role model, especially at my age, and he thinks I have a terrific understanding of what life is like with a heart transplant. He asked me to brainstorm a logo for these bracelets that are given to heart transplant patients at Cedar Sinai and whoever else is interested to promote Heart Disease Awareness. Last year, the logo was, "The Gift of Life" and this year I chose a logo that originated from my fifth year attending Camp Del Corazon.

In 2009, my cabin and I told people to not stare at our scars, even though everyone else had scars too, as a joke. During Art and Crafts, we made a mini poster stating, "CHD (Congenital Heart Disease). DON'T STARE!" and we hung it in our cabin for the whole session. Two months beforehand, I had my second heart transplant and I attended CDC during the three month rejecting period, my wonderful doctors understood how much I have gone through and how much happiness camp brings me.

The rubber bracelets are going to be orange(camp color) and read, "Heart Disease. DON'T STARE!" not to mention my name is going to be on them, hens; why they're called the Shelby Cooper Bracelet. One thousand of them are being manufactured in a factory in China and are being sold for only one dollar. All the profits are going to be donated to the number one place that deserves it, Camp Del Corazon, in my name. I've always wanted to help Camp Del Corazon by attending their annual fundraisers, but my family doesn't have the money. I'm so glad I'm able to give to them, because CDC has effected my life significantly and without it, my life would be completely different.

If you're interested, the bracelets will be available in December. Later, I will post a link to a website in the right side bar, to help purchase one as soon as possible!

Remember When?

"HEY HEY! LISTEN UP LISTEN UP!"

Remember when we would wake up at 6:30 AM to go on the morning hike, or participate in Yoga or Wake n Wind to earn tickets. Then once the morning bell rang, all the counselors and campers would meet up to spread out and yell, "HIT IT GUMBI!" and do the Sunshine Dance together? After consuming the first of the three delicious meals a day, we would countdown the numbers on each ticket Big Kahuna would name off, to try and win prizes for our amazing cabins. Once Breakfast ended, we would skip crazily together back to our cabins, to attempt winning Cleanest Cabin Queens/ Kings. Finally, we finished sweeping, organizing, and kissing up to the med nurses, and we're off to our first activity of the day.

"A, B... C.D.C!"

The friends you meet here really are the best! Their willing to try new things like kayaking through, "Bird Terd Rock", they support you one-THOUSAND percent when accomplishing the High Ropes and Rock Wall, and they congratulate you every time you reach your personal goal of the day. Not only are the friends here the most positive people you'll ever meet, but the conversations never get old. Awkward silences are avoidable at lunch, since there's always something to talk or laugh about, and when we're not chatting, we're either having an INTENSE cup game or singing full out to Queen or Katy Perry. Remember when all the counselors would dress up in anything from the Costume Box and prance around the dining hall to Mambo Number Five holding your lost items? After noticing something belonged to you, lost item or not, you would gladly do the Squirrel Dance in front of everybody?

"WE GOT SPIRIT! YES WE DO! WE GOT SPIRIT! HOW BOUT YOU!?"

Remember when Quiet Hour was never the hour to relax, but the time to jump on the trampoline and play volleyball during the Beach Party for, "Winning" the Free Space Challenge during Disco Bingo? Then once shower hour came, it was a race between all the girl cabins for a clean, warm shower. After showering, all the girls would succeed in looking gorgeous for evening activities and the guys, by putting on make-up and using all the electricity from blow drying and straightening our hair. After Dizzy Oops decided which cabin eats first, we all ate another satisfying, scrumptious meal. "HEY CAESAR, HOW BOUT SECONDS!?", would be called for every meal, since we couldn't get enough of the food! Remember when "T" dressed up as Belatrix Le Strange and ordered us to find her death eater decedents around camp, or when skit night brought out our inner nerves, but we still had a good time on stage, or when we were dancing the Cha Cha Slide, or slow dancing with our date at the dance on our last night? Fantastic memories made from evening activities!

"AND A HUSH WENT OVER THE CROWD! Hhhsshhhh!!!"

It was finally cabin closing and the majority of us can only name positives of the day and zero negatives. Remember when the counselors left for staff meeting and the rest of us would stay up talking till midnight with our wonderful cabin? Telling, "Scary" stories, singing random songs, laughing about dirty jokes, creeping each other out, rating the guys, and planning the next day, until a counselor would come in to tell us to be quiet since we're keeping the ENTIRE girls camp awake.

"I DON'T KNOW BUT WHO CAN SAY IT LOUDER! WHO PUT THE OVERALLS IN MRS. MURPHY'S CHOWDER!?"

Camp= HAPPINESS!

I <3 Cutter!

Over the camp years

I've been going to camp for ten straight years, since I was seven years old. Now I'm fifteen years old and I only have two years left. I'm determined to make the best of these last couple years by acting like a happy, crazy, enthusiastic Shelby. Which I accomplished by doing this year. Which is a good plan, because I'm afraid college will get in the way of me becoming a counselor and I won't be able to come back until I've graduated from ASU, or UCLA, or wherever I end up studying for how many years I decide to go for.

Lately, I've been feeling a bit depressed from NOT being at camp. I'm just glad I have contact with all my camp friends, I probably would have exploded by now if I was isolated from them. THANK YOU TECHNOLOGY! On the first day back to school once fall break ended, after I got home, I literally started crying because I rather be at camp then anywhere else. Not that I don't love my regular friends, but life is so much more different without my CDC friends surrounding me 24/7. Instead of taking notes in Geometry I made a list, "Reasons why I <3 CAMP DEL CORAZON!". All the good times, inside jokes, and memories are coming back to me:

Asking Nicole, Mela, and Hana, "Can I kiss your back?" after Marissa randomly did it to a guy. ~2010
Dancing crazily with Mela whenever a good song was played by Gumbi. ~2010
Creeping Booter out by hugging him every time I see him! ~ 2009
Eating smores after evening activities.
Wearing a Nemo hat on my head with Annie and totally embracing it. ~2009
Yelling, "YOU GUYS ARE TITANIC!" with Annie against our rival side, the boats. ~ 2009
Singing, "SLOOP, THERE IT IS!" with my cabin. ~ 2009
Composting our food instead of cleaning the dishes.
Going full out, every morning, to the sunshine dance and not feeling like a lunatic. ~ 2011
Singing Sweet Caroline and Don't Stop Believing every year.
Stealing Jarred's hat, and wearing it for the entire camp session. ~ 2011
Searching for crabs in Nature, but surprisingly finding an octopus. ~ 2005
Voluntarily doing the squirrel dance
Playing ping pong with Ellen after lunch. ~ 2009-2010
The successful feeling after achieving in archery and target sports.
Naming all of my positives of the day during cabin closing.
Playing improv games in my activity free choice: Theatre. ~2010
Balancing on the life guard surf board during the beach party, then Devin flipping me over. ~ 2011
Dancing full out during disco bingo, practically hitting people in the face.
Being called Spider Girl after reaching the top of the rock wall in 45 seconds! ~ 2010
Beating my rock wall record in 2010 from 45 seconds to 36 seconds! ~ 2011
Kissing up to the med nurses every year to win cleanest cabin.
Playing Ninja with Christian and a bunch of other little kids on the boat ride to the island. ~ 2011
Impersonating Dory by making whale noises with Cutter at night when we're supposed to be sleeping. ~ 2011
Making gasping for air noises of the same unicorn swimming back to the mainland with Aries. ~ 2011
Doing Sammy's make-up every night for the evening activities. ~ 2011
Showing off my golf swing during my free choice activity: Golf. ~ 2011
Trying the giant swing for a first time and pretending to be Tinkerbell. ~2010
My cabin convinced my counselor nickname should be flirt, since I flirt with all the guys. ~ 2010
Playing ,"Crack the egg" with Senior 3. ~ 2011
Searching for Garibaldi fish during my activity free choice: Snorkeling. ~ 2009
Totally freaking out when I spotted the sharks, until I was told they have no teeth. ~ 2009
Trendsetting by being the first to volunteer for a swim test. ~  2009
In the hula hoop contest, being a finalist out of all the cabins, to determine who eats first. ~ 2009
Playing baseball in the swimming pool with the guy cabins. ~ 2008
Winning at Wake n Wind. ~ 2006
Ben taking the last dessert and reserving it for me. ~ 2007
Making monkey fists with Nick, Nate, and Josh at the airport. ~ 2010
Nick finding out my one extreme tickle spot and holding it against me. ~ 2010
Shakin our booty's and singing with Cutter as encouragement on the high ropes. ~ 2010
Writing cards to the sponsors of CDC, telling them how much I appreciate camp.
Sleeping with ants in my sleeping bag, and not knowing it. ~ 2010
Making up cabin chants with Victoria. ~ 2011
Free piggy back rides from all the guys during the alien scavenger hunt.
Constant encouragement from my friends and counselors.
Receiving hugs from Dj every time we see each other(Are you stalking me!?). ~ 2011
Tanning on the beach with Emily and Nicole. ~ 2011
Getting seriously into character when pretending to be on a, "Lion Hunt".
Riding horses when Malibu Ranch was in session. ~ 2006- 2008
Taking pictures of the sunrise during the morning hike.
Learning the ways of a lanyard making from Annie. ~ 2009
Sleeping by the ocean for four nights.
Enjoying that I look ridiculous while singing repeat songs.
Belting out Bohemian Rhapsody with Movie Man on the last day. ~ 2010
Rapping the Wizard of Oz rap as Dorthy for skit night. ~ 2011
Teaching the Cup Game with Victoria, then having counselors and campers join in to create the biggest game ever. ~ 2011
Seabass asking my to slow dance at my first dance when we were a couple of kids. ~ 2004
Borrowing my counselors clothing, because I didn't have anything else to wear to the themed meals. ~ 2007
Looking forward to breakfast out of all the deliciously satisfying meals a day.
Sharing past medical history with your cabin and finding out something you have in common.
Creating the, "Happy Transplant Club" with Nicole. ~ 2011
Not worrying about being judged when I act myself.
Meeting new people, then keeping these friends forever!

Transplant Vlogs

I hate to admit it, but I am one in a million. My dad mentioned my cardiologist appointment in the car today which led to another your-heart-appointments-are-more-important-since-SECOND-heart-transplants-are-serious-business. Then he called me ONE in a MILLION, which I took offence to since I don't like being, "One special egg!" Can't I be counted as a weird teenager because I have an odd personality? Oh whatever, I'm getting off topic anyways, this conversation made me wonder... 'One in a million... That means a small percentage of people know what I had to go through during my SECOND transplant... Maybe I should have documented what Denver was like...' 

I had a webcam the whole time in Denver, why didn't I think of using it besides Skyping with people I miss from AZ. The idea of using my webcam in desperate times of need to rant on and on about my life seemed like a good idea... Until I realized, who would want to listen to a depressed teenager complaining about her life? Then I came to the conclusion of not caring if people actually viewed my videos, this may help with the disappointment. So, whenever I am in the hospital(which will likely, happen again) or in a Denver situation which I hope will. Never. Happen. Ever. Again. I will use my webcam everyday to record what happened day by day, and by the end of the whole mess, I will have a nicely edited video showing what happened everyday. These videos will be posted on this blog for my own personal satisfaction, but if you want to watch them in the future, that be cool! Now I'll start my homework!

Mental Breakdowns

Twelve years old going on thirteen, almost one-thousand miles away from my home, waiting for a Second Heart Transplant in Denver, while practically living in the Ronald McDonald House. I had a perfectly reasonable reason to 100% mentally, physically, and emotionally break-down, once in awhile! Every time one of these events struck me, I would be sobbing on the bed, my dad besides me, trying to calm me down, but letting me cry out all my fears and feelings suffocating me since the beginning of my terror. Before I received my transplant, I remember being left alone in our easily claustrophobic room, and that's all it took. Leaving me alone with my thoughts. Once my dad came back from talking on the phone for an hour, he found me laying on my stomach on the bed, crying softly to myself. After he asked, "What's wrong?" and realized how red and puffy my entire face was, I let everything out!

It's all a bit blurry now, I was crying so hard,  but I remember feeling like the worst person on the Earth. Wishing I didn't have to go through this horrific experience, wishing I could just see my friends again, wishing I didn't have to deal with a pic-line in my arm, wishing a second transplant was just completely out of the question, thinking I was actually in a never ending nightmare... My reality.

My mind was so confused and messed with, I didn't want to believe I was the girl chosen to go through this. Doctors appointments every week with my nurse practitioner, blood draws more than once a week, 24/7 pic-line, and the cardiac floor at Denver Children's Hospital was my home away from RMH. I tried to look on the bright side, but there's only so many positive thoughts you can think of, when you're still living off your second failing heart. I felt like my life was hopeless and I would stay depressed until I could move with my life, which seemed impossible at the moment. My goals and aspirations seemed pointless until I was back to where I belong, in AZ. 

Along with my emotions spiraling down a bottomless pit, I also felt EXTREMELY homesick. I haven't seen my friends, my dog, my cat, and my family since April (it's now June). Surprisingly I missed middle school, and absolutely hated the fact that I missed the first day of eighth grade. Eighth grade was supposed to be my year to feel superior from everyone else in the school,  for I am moving on to high school and will soon be back to the starting line as a pathetic freshman. 

After ranting on, and on to my dad, how I wish my life ended up differently, if only I was normal. I finally chillaxed by eating chocolate ice cream till 11pm, and watching Harry Potter until I fell asleep. Waking up to find myself STILL waiting at the RMH! 

Please appreciate your life! You never realize how good you have it until it collapses right in front of your eyes. Spend as much time with your friends and family and this really has nothing do with anything, but a little sunscreen never hurt anyone... Especially when you're as orange as me. (Fricken Golf. Thank You Sunshine.)

<3 DONATE LIFE <3

Something Normal

I wish I were not such a perfectionist…

I wish I were not such a perfectionist…

Reorganizing my backpack when a pencil is out of place

Color coding my wardrobe in my closet

Moving unneeded folders to the recycling bin on my computer

Brushing each strand of hair, so it stays perfect for the first five minutes of the day

If I were to enter a hoarder’s house

I would start throwing away items immediately

Filling an entire garbage truck of “Precious items”

That I would care less about as long as the house smells pretty

My First Home

My First Home

Camp reminds me of a healthy beating heart that has been given a second chance 

Camp sounds like the laughter coming from the campers having the time of their life

Camp tastes like the delicious meals where you yell, “Hey Caesar, how bout seconds?!”

Camp smells like the salty ocean that you sleep by for four nights

Camp looks like a huge group of CHD kids doing the Sunshine Dance in the morning

There’s no place like home, and my first home is Camp Del Corazon

I wrote this poem a few days after CDC ended, so you can imagine how much my mind was set on camp. No lie though, camp will always be my first home, since it's the only place I'm forever and always purely happy.

In other news: Yesterday, when I was in English I was, "eavesdropping" on someone else's conversation and apparently... It's weird and creepy to have take med's for any reason? Umm, yeah someone needs a good slap in the face. How did these people even come up to this conclusion? Oh well, I will never understand the mind of a douche bag <3

Just because I have Congenital Heart Disease...

Just because I have Congenital Heart Disease...

Just because I have Congenital Heart Disease

            It doesn’t make me a below average student

            It doesn’t mean I can’t do anything you can do

            It doesn’t mean we don’t have anything in common

Just because I have Congenital Heart Disease

            It doesn’t mean you have to learn CPR just to hang out with me

            It doesn’t mean I have to watch my diet

            It doesn’t mean I get it easy

Just because I have Congenital Heart Disease

            It means I have to take pills twice a day, everyday

            It means I have many scars that didn’t come from falling off my bike

            It means I have had my unfair share of serious hospital visits

Just because I have Congenital Heart Disease… does not mean I’m not a normal teenager

Why I Miss Camp

Why I miss camp…

Catalina Island is my home                                 

That’s where I attend Camp Del Corazon

I love my friends with Heart Disease

Moments at camp, are the ones I wish to seize

This is why I miss camp…

When I’m here I’m not thought as bizarre

Nobody here judges by my scar

Everyone here is all the same

It has taught me to have no shame

Another reason why I miss camp…

To go from reality to CDC is a hard transition

Although, I prefer these priceless camp traditions

Screaming, “WE GOT SPIRIT YES WE DO, WE GOT SPIRIT HOW BOUT’ YOU?”

Then singing repeat songs with the rest of the camp works too

More reasons why I miss camp...

From the Sunshine Dance in the morning

To the Evening Activities that are never boring

On the last day everyone is signing shirts and crying on the boat dock

Once we’re back in Arizona it’s around seven o’ clock

These are the reasons I will always miss camp

Poetry Project

What makes sense

I do not understand…

Why girls would choose Twilight over Harry Potter

Why boys would choose Lebron James over Kobe Bryant

Why old people would choose Bingo over Golf

What I do not understand most is…

Why teenagers would choose heart break over friendships

Why adults would choose their paycheck over their family

Why people would choose wrong over right

What I DO understand is Heart Disease…

It may be tough at times but,

It has connected me with so many amazing people

It has provided me with several once in a lifetime opportunities

Most importantly, it gives me the appreciation towards my life

So for English we had to collaborate with five poems and present to the class. Thankfully, I was absent the day of the presenting time, so I didn't have to, but I would gladly share this poem along with the other four poems. Four out of the five poems I came up with are either related to heart disease or Camp Del Corazon. The last poem is just talking about how OCD I truly am, but what the hell I'll post that poem another day. 

The saddest day of the year...

Day 5

No more morning hike at 6:30AM. Just me sleeping in my sleeping bag till 7:00am wishing I could still take in the beautiful scenery for a last time. I wasn't close to being packed! My clothes and toiletries were spread throughout my entire cabin! Our last breakfast at camp could have been better by not adding eggs... but everything became a, "Happy Turtle" once we created a GIANT cup game group for the last time!

When packing, I found my socks scattered all around the cabin. Two in someone else's Nick & Kelly suitcase. One outside my cabin in the dirt. Three under my bunk, and none in my suitcase. After leaving my suitcase at the boat dock and seeing my cabin completely empty again is when it hit me, but not enough to make me cry... yet! After taking one more Cutter cabin photo with ten different camera's in front of the beautiful ocean's scenery, it was time to sign shirts. Thank god I brought five sharpies because I could not sign everyone's shirt with just one! I would lose them too easily, which I accomplished by loosing three out of the five I brought. I think this year, is the year I had the most signatures on my shirt. The whole back of my shirt was covered in different colored signatures and sweet messages from all my best camp buddies! After waiting for all the cabins to be packed and loaded on the dock we did what is called a, "Camp Sweep" where we  line up in an, "orderly fashion" and footstep by footstep we walk across the entire campus to pick up every piece of trash so it looks as naturalistic as possible for the next two sessions taking place immediately after we departure.

Lunch didn't feel like lunch, it felt more like rushing-to-sign-shirts-while giving-ten-minute-hugs-to-the-people-I-won't-be-flying-back-to-phoenix-with(Ahem... Dj!) I ate my LAST, AMAZING lunch in five minutes, while rocking out to Bohemian Rhapsody, with my shirt on my back for free signing privileges. Finally, I was back under the tree where I originally starting signing shirts to wait for the session two campers to get off the Catalina Express while taking a, "Group CDC Picture" in remembrance of another year.

High fiving all the counselors, running to the boat I was finally leaving camp... sadly. On the boat I sat with Jarred, Dylan, and Alex with Emily in front of me and Christian watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One beside me on a counselor's iPhone(sadly I missed out).  Only Nick & Kelly campers were on this boat while the California campers.. Actually I don't know what happened to them, I guess they went on a different boat.

After arriving at the Catalina Express Dock I was settled into my traveling group with, "Woody" and we were finally on the bus on our way to John Wayne Airport. Usually we fly to LAX, but this year we flew U.S. Airways so maybe it was just cheaper. After arriving at the airport and being rushed through security we were just waiting to be boarded on to the plane to fly back to Phoenix to be greeted by our parents, who I was not excited to see.

After sitting with Emily, and Dylan, Jarred, and Alex sitting behind us tapping me on the shoulder every five seconds, and eating a DISGUSTING egg salad sandwich... we arrived at Sky Harbor. I was still able to keep my cool(you can't keep something you never had Shelby?) and continued to not cry, but I was so ready to burst into tears because, thinking about going to school the next day, feeling so out of place waking up in my bed instead of a sleeping bag, and not dancing to the Jackson 5 while eating a homemade meal every morning, made me feel sick! Literally. I felt like I was going to throw up after the flight, and I don't think that was due to turbulence. I was soon stepping off the same escalator that I usually end up shedding a tear on for the past seven years and what do you know? My parents weren't at the bottom to greet me. They were late. As usual. I found my suitcase, gave my last hugs, and then sat down next to all the other, "unwanted" children to wait for my parents.

Unfortunately, they eventually came to pick me up and I was forced to go back home. In the middle of the car ride home, I was describing the unbelievable feeling at camp to my dad and then I was struck. Hard. I burst out, full on, bawling wishing I was still at camp. Before I cracked, I was explaining to my dad how I'm so accepted in the world by everyone and when I'm there, I'm a completely different person, a more fun loving, crazy, outgoing person,  and I just forget about heart disease and any other frustrations in my reality. Making me the happiest girl out there.

Dammit, now there's a tear in my eye. Miss you CDC... why did I have to leave you! I hope the third session campers are having the time of their life!

Nature, Kayaking, Giant Swing!

Day 4

This is the LAST morning I can do the morning hike with Dj, Jarred, and Sammy! How depressing! Although, I made the best of it by capturing all the beautiful sights while getting piggy back rides. From the cup game during breakfast(it never get's old), to Disney character impressions when getting ready, we were finally on our way to our last day of activities! Up first was Nature, and every year we seem to do something different. Like last year we went scoping for crabs on the reefs and I managed to find an octopus. The year before we did team strengthening games with Buzz Lightyear gloves... and budgie cords. This year we learned about composting and how much it helps the environment. After the slideshow we dissecting a worm and I was the only girl LOOKING FORWARD to seeing worm guts! Honestly, I had NO IDEA what was inside a worm. I just figured they were too small of organisms to have guts so I thought they were hollow creatures with the slight chance of blood, but it never came to mind that they have FIVE hearts! One of these hearts I put into a zip lock to take home to my parents as a, "Welcome Home" gift... but I lost it in my luggage so I never got the chance. Oh well.

After Nature, I was able to chill out by the beach with the guys for a few minutes before my next activity which was Kayaking... in my bikini(Score;) Surprisingly, one of the Senior 3(oldest cabin) guys asked me to be their partner. Woo! I don't get to do all the work, now it's the other way around! After passing through, "Bird Terd Rock" and playing Piano Keys(Holding on to each others kayaks in a line while other people jump out of their spot to move to a different one) we we're finally DONE! Thank God cause I was exhausted afterward; all my energy was totally wiped out of me from this point on to the minute I stepped off the escalator! I swear I could barely keep my eyes open during lunch! It may not have seemed that way with my crazy, upbeat personality but I was so ready for a nap!

Luckily, Quiet Hour was next, so it was perfect timing to relax right?! WRONG! Instead, I forgot about my laziness and decided to go to a beach party held at the Water Front! My friends Emily, Nicole, Alex, Dylan, Christian, Charlie, and Jarred would be there so who wouldn't pass that up!?(INSANE PEOPLE! That's who.) At first it was just me and Emily tanning on the beach, then Nicole joined us, so we grabbed a surf board and headed towards the water, eventually the guys came, and the rest of the hour was us trying to tip each other over on the surf board. This totally did not help with my lack of rest, but my excitement withdrew all the tiredness from my body once I found out we had the Giant Swing with Senior 1!

The Giant Swing is part of the High Ropes Course, where you put on a harness more extreme then the ones you would wear for the Rock Wall. One rope is the fulcrum that is constantly holding you, the other rope is being tugged by your cabin to lift you into the air and once you're at a "comfortable" height you let go of a string holding the two ropes together. Suddenly, you're swinging in the air for five minutes with the breeze hustling in your ear and pixy dust up your sleeve!

This was the most excited I have ever been about shower hour! I had dried salt water in my hair and I literally felt sticky all over! I was so anxious, I was about to turn on the shower when I realized I still had my clothes on! I was debating whether to put on my dress for dinner but I figured I'll let it be a surprise for the dance! So instead of being glammed up I went all natural and didn't even put on make-up or straighten my hair(Yes I brought a straightener/ curler and a blow dryer)! After our LAST dinner(Turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, and the BEST ginger bread!) and perhaps the BEST dinner out of them all, we went back to our cabins to put on make-up and do our hair! My eye shadow color for tonight was a sea green over a sparkling white to match my Marilyn Monroe dress!

The dance was AMAZING! I danced with everybody there!! My cabin, Emily, Nicole, Hana, Mela, Seabass, Devin, Alex, Jarred, Christian, Adam, Dylan, Dj. If I missed anybody...  I COULD NEVER FORGET YOU! I slow danced with Jarred and made a move... then got caught by Ooops and had to be, "arms length" apart. After SIX slow songs, the maccuarna, and the Cha Cha Slide... It was finally time to go back to our cabins! The only thing we managed to talk about was the dance! We all ended up with someone to slow dance with and without question, it was the best night of them all!! Once we finished cabin closing which was to say something nice about the person to our right. Personally, I didn't want to say something nice about one person! I wanted to compliment EVERYBODY in my AMAZING cabin, because they were the ones who made this experience the BEST camp experience! Although, I followed the rules and only complimetned one person which was Aries... "You are so spazzy and full of energy! I love how I can dance and be silly around you wherever we are!" Although, I was able to compliment everybody once the counselors left for staff meeting.

This may have been the night we stayed up the longest and talked the loudest! Of course we talked about the guys! Who's the hottest? Who's the funniest? Who we like? Me giving the boy advice for the next day(24/7 WING WOMAN!)! Eventually, it turned into our, "normal" conversation about the same unicorn swimming to the mainland, and, "I speak whale", and our dirty jokes ;-) Obviously, we were still hyped from the dance if two counselors came in to tell us to CALM DOWN! They even waited outside the door, making sure we didn't go back immediately to talking. From that point on we just decided to shut up and go to BED, paranoid we would have another distressed counselor opening the curtain.