Devil Went Down to Georgia

I'm at my new camp in Suches, GA now, and I absolutely love it. My second day here I went sliding down a waterfall in freezing weather with some of my co-counselors.



At my last camp, I had been facilitating drum circles with my djembe and then letting campers use buckets and other things to make noise. I started doing it here at my new camp since one of the master counselors has built up a nice collection of drums, and it's been really successful! After we play as a group, we discuss the dynamics of leadership and harmony within the group and how it comes out when we play.



When the parents came to take their kids home for Thanksgiving, I did a drum circle workshop to show them what we were working on, and afterwards a parent approached my boss and noted that there weren't enough drums for everyone to play, and then offered to buy as many drums as we needed. AWESOME. My boss is also talking about sending me to a percussion/djembe/drum circle facilitator clinic to really boost this program. Friggin sweet. AND we're talking about taking a group on a surfing trip to Florida sometime in the winter. I'm happy.

And for all other things that can't be described in words, here's a snippet of what I've been up to:


Finally, I should note that I don't get cell phone reception out here, and I drive into town maybe once a week at the most. However, I do love snail mail! Here's my new mailing address:

4970 Camp Rd
Suches, GA 30572

End of the Road

Alright, now for the real update. True to the title of my blog, I've moved. I've transferred from a state-run camp in Candor, NC to a private camp in Suches, GA.

It was hard to leave my last camp, mostly because of the people I'd grown close to-- both campers and staff. My last week was an emotional rollercoaster. I had campers cussing me out and saying they couldn't wait until the day I left, but then hours later crying and telling me I was like a family member... and that if the campers at my new camp didn't treat me right, they'd take a day trip over to Georgia to "set them straight".

I felt so uncertain about my decision to transfer. At first I thought it was a good time to leave because I didn't have strong ties to any particular group. I was bouncing around from group to group with no real sense of ownership. But when I saw the reactions to my decision, I realized that I had built bonds with a few individuals, and that leaving them would feel like severing limbs from my body. It's hard to separate your professional life from the personal when you feel less like an authority figure and more like a mother.

At my How-Out (goodbye ceremony), one of my campers didn't say any goodbyes, but instead just started singing to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxiqAZVC8Hw


I think the kids were taking bets on who would make me cry the most, and this guy was a serious contender. As much as it made me sad to leave, I'm confident that the timing was right, and that there are good chiefs there who will continue to show love, care, and support to the kids.

LEAF Fall 2009

I met my friend Michelle again at the Lake Eden Arts Festival on October 17th-19th. This is a bi-annual hoodang and as a music festival junkie, I feel qualified to say that this one is unlike all others.

Here's a montage of some clips I took at the festival this Fall:


I love this shindig because:
1. It has brought in some of the most talented international artists I've ever seen and has introduced me to a variety of other cultures' indigenous instruments.
2. It's an interactive experience. From didjeridoo workshops to contact improv dance classes, the festival pulls you in as a participant so that you are not merely an observer/critic. Everyone is encouraged to bring their instruments and there are jam tents set up all over. Every stage is set in front of a dance floor to encourage anyone and everyone to contribute artistically.

3. Bon fire drum circle dance party. 'Nuff said.
4. It's a big camping trip in a beautiful location. It's centered around a lake with a zip-line and water slide
5. It's community/family oriented, and it's rather small, so I would recognize familiar faces all weekend rather than feeling like I was swimming in a mob at all times. This small community feeling seemed to hold people accountable to their actions. Much like the whole don't-fart-in-an-elevator-because-everyone'll-know-you-did-it rule, people were very considerate and kept the campgrounds clean.

Here's another video that someone put together of this fall's festival:

24th Revolution Around the Sun (and other things that make full circles)

I had a good birthday. I went to see the Avett Brothers live in Charleston, SC with my friend Michelle.

Michelle (Misa) was one of the twelve palagi who studied in Samoa with me-- who was branded with me, and who pulled me through the trauma of my drowned iPod. Some of my happiest memories in Samoa were just singing with her. We'd pick a random song (usually 90's... often Weezer) and just sing our hearts out, and even though neither of us were outstanding vocalists, singing with her was better than listening to any danggone iPod. I discovered music in a new dimension-- a "non-verbal" form of communication that forms real bonds between people.

I'm proud to say that I turned her onto the Avett Brothers. I sat in our "computer lab" all day (literally) just to download two songs (Nothing Short of Thankful and Colorshow). Then we sat in our ofisa and listened to them on repeat in dead silence. The Avett Brothers' music will probably always make me nostalgic about Samoa (as I've said before).

It was only fitting that Michelle and I would reunite for the first time since Samoa at an Avett Brothers concert.

Footage from that concert:


And here's a lil' clip of one of my campers singing to me when I came home: