Bumps, Bruises, and Scars...OH MY!
I realize that it's Thursday, a few days past when I should have written this, but I just have to write about what an amazing weekend I had.
First of all, it was yet another time that I was able to go out to the fabulous Camp Yamhill. This time, however, for different reasons. This weekend was a training weekend on how to facilitate the ropes course that they have out there. Let me just say that I walked in with a completely distorted idea of what all was going to happen. I guess I really didn't know what to expect, but I didn't realize that I would actually be doing EVERYTHING as a PARTICIPANT as well as a FACILITATOR. That means that I was learning to belay, rappel, clip, glide, string, rescue gear, rescue people, and a multitude of other tasks. I walked in knowing absolutely nothing, and walked away knowing just as much as people who have been doing this stuff for a while. A few picture examples would include belaying as well as climbing and walking the Catwalk (a log attached between two trees at about 30' up)...
Another example would include the High Circuit, which has many different elements to it, but one element being the swings at about 25' up...
And of course there's the rock wall...climbing, belaying, rappelling, and ziplining from it...
Needless to say from the title, I walked away from the weekend with a large number of battle wounds. But they were SO worth it.
The second reason why this weekend was awesome is going to sound a bit weird at first, but let me explain before you come to any hasty judgments. This weekend was great because I was the ONLY girl in the midst of several guys (told you it would sound funny). It was so wonderful though because I was in the midst of guys that I have known for years, and FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, was treated AS A GIRL! I've always been better friends with guys rather than girls. I've always been "the best friend" or "just one of the guys." A girl can only take so much of that before she starts to doubt her feminine qualities. This weekend, however, was completely different. Now I know how these boys are in real life...but when I was around they watched the crude jokes, they held in their bodily functions, and best of all, they continually praised me and told me how proud they were of me. It felt so nice. They did teach me to play poker with them, but I'll let that one slide.
So if any of you wanna go climb a rock wall, just let me know!!!
***NOTE: These pictures were borrowed from the Challenge Camp website and are not actually of me...but used to illustrate my point.***
First of all, it was yet another time that I was able to go out to the fabulous Camp Yamhill. This time, however, for different reasons. This weekend was a training weekend on how to facilitate the ropes course that they have out there. Let me just say that I walked in with a completely distorted idea of what all was going to happen. I guess I really didn't know what to expect, but I didn't realize that I would actually be doing EVERYTHING as a PARTICIPANT as well as a FACILITATOR. That means that I was learning to belay, rappel, clip, glide, string, rescue gear, rescue people, and a multitude of other tasks. I walked in knowing absolutely nothing, and walked away knowing just as much as people who have been doing this stuff for a while. A few picture examples would include belaying as well as climbing and walking the Catwalk (a log attached between two trees at about 30' up)...
Another example would include the High Circuit, which has many different elements to it, but one element being the swings at about 25' up... And of course there's the rock wall...climbing, belaying, rappelling, and ziplining from it... Needless to say from the title, I walked away from the weekend with a large number of battle wounds. But they were SO worth it. The second reason why this weekend was awesome is going to sound a bit weird at first, but let me explain before you come to any hasty judgments. This weekend was great because I was the ONLY girl in the midst of several guys (told you it would sound funny). It was so wonderful though because I was in the midst of guys that I have known for years, and FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, was treated AS A GIRL! I've always been better friends with guys rather than girls. I've always been "the best friend" or "just one of the guys." A girl can only take so much of that before she starts to doubt her feminine qualities. This weekend, however, was completely different. Now I know how these boys are in real life...but when I was around they watched the crude jokes, they held in their bodily functions, and best of all, they continually praised me and told me how proud they were of me. It felt so nice. They did teach me to play poker with them, but I'll let that one slide.
So if any of you wanna go climb a rock wall, just let me know!!!
***NOTE: These pictures were borrowed from the Challenge Camp website and are not actually of me...but used to illustrate my point.***
Umm, this is why I think I am going to cut off anonymous comments. Have fun trashing that junk! And congrats on doing stuff that the average Army person has never done! When you think of it that way, it is serious stuff.
Posted by
Gunslinger |
8/18/2005 11:21 PM
i love poker!
Posted by
tabitha jane |
8/19/2005 9:10 AM
I want to go climb.
Posted by
James T Wood |
8/20/2005 10:00 AM
ahh i wanted to learn all that too, but i had a rad time at another camp, so im okay with it after all, and im glad you got to have your feminine experience. indeed, it does feel nice to be treated like that beautiful women that we are, doesn't it?
Who was out there?
Posted by
, |
8/21/2005 9:38 PM
It was super nice...especially coming from Nick Mears, Aaron Partlow, Corey Craig, Troy Kronwitter, Mark Brown, and even Greg.
Posted by
Christi |
8/22/2005 8:40 AM
James, you just gotta come on back to the Promised Land of Oregon and I'd take you in an instant!!!
Tabs - poker is even better when you don't have to pay up because it's your "first time" playing. (It really wasn't my first time, just the first time that anybody took the time to really explain the game so I knew what I was doing).
Posted by
Christi |
8/22/2005 8:42 AM
Oh, so JEALOUS! The first time I saw a challenge course, I thought, Finally! Somebody gave up on the nonsense that jungle gyms are for kids. I can't wait to destroy myself trying to swing from some ridiculous height scared to death and loving every second of it!
Thanks for getting the certification!
Posted by
everyday.wonder |
8/23/2005 8:16 AM
As opposed to climbing a tree to rescue a remote controlled airplane
Posted by
Gunslinger |
8/28/2005 1:13 AM