What I've Been Up To

This is my little story about my camping trip that started on Sunday...I wrote it each night before going to sleep...and now I'm puting it here. It is definately much longer than I thought it was!!

5 minutes into the process of putting up my tent (aka Spawn of Satan) I was laughing so hard that my green tea gingerale started to come out my nose. Fantastic. Following camp set up we sat by the fire and chatted. Then it cooled off so it was just me and my brother, the wind in the trees and the sky filled with stars. We sat by the crackling fire laughing over old highschool stories and talking about our views on drinking and swearing. Now I must say that this is not the easiest way to sleep. I'm in a cocoon of blankets which is great. Nice and cozy. BUT I am a toss-and-turner by heart. There are people who can go to sleep in a bed and get up and they just need to flip the blanket back over the pillow and it's like the bed wasn't even touched. I am not one of those people. I don't know how it happens but when I wake up the blankets are balled up and in a knot all around me. Unfortunately trying to toss or turn in this cocoon will get me strangled. And I lose my warm spot. Oh well. I think i'm going to fall asleep now.
Day 2
Twas a good day. Filled with a lot of laughter, which makes it one of my favorite kinds of days. We put our boat together (it's a Zodiac) and then we put it in the water and dad and Clayton got in it to take it for a test run. I was holding the rope. I was supposed to keep holding the rope. I didn't know that. And of course it's super windy and they are blowin towards the shore through the shallow part and the motor isn't actually starting. Oops. So I roll up my pants and take my moms crocs and wade in to get them back. Clayton throws me the rope and I grab it then I tow them straight through the boat launch and wind up almost waist deep in water. Way to go me. My mom's snapping pictures and laughing and i'm laughing and dad was still fighting the motor and Clayton was laughing. Good times. Later when we were actually getting in the boat (I had changed into dry clothes and flip flops) it was my job to push the boat out. I rolled up my pants once again and waded in a lil bit, pushed, and jumped in. Everything was going well. Except my flip flop stayed in the lake.It just floated there by the shore. But my dad drove the boat back and we rescued my shoe with the paddle. Yay!Following this incident was the wettest and windiest boat trip ever. It was fantastic. Once again I was soaked! This time from waves breaking on the side of the boat. Lot's of laughing occurred once again. We had a quiet afternoon and then Clayton and I climbed the mini-mountain behind our camp. We returned. Had supper. Sat by the fire for a bit til it got cold a d started raining. Went inside played 2 games of team crib (my parents won one game and Clayton and me won one). Lot's of laughing. Fun.Now i'm trying out a less restrictive blanket arrangement. I hope I don't freeze.
Day 3
So I totally half froze last night. We woke up, had breakfast and then dad, Clayton and I went hiking. We hiked up a creek for 3 hours then climbed a ridge. I was pretty tired by the time we started climbing the ridge but was so not going to be the reason we didn't climb to the top of anything. I am so beat. And out of control sore. My feet feel bruised and are covered in blisters. But it was so worth it of course. It wasn't the most perfect of ridges for views but the view was still fantastic. Then when we got back to camp we had delicious steak and potatoes that mom made for us. So good. Then showered and felt a lot better. Then the whole fam sat around the fire til now. I'm so ready to sleep now.
Day Four
Today was just as great as the others. We left Rock lake this afternoon and went into Hinton for some bread and gas and fresh water. The Hinton IGA has a whole wall devoted to things that campers or hunters might need. Including toilet paper. That wall of supplies made me laugh. Even got some cell phone reception and found out one friend got her job and another friend got his apartment! Yay!Then we headed out to the McLeod River where there's this kind of gravel flood plain that we camp on. I love it here. There's a bit more traffic on the nearby road but it is still a fantastic place. The nearby river is beautiful. And the valley is quite nice. This evening we had our fire and we watched the stars come out. A valley full of stars. Breathtaking. The conversation involved lengthy descriptions like "ok, see that ridge over there? Now see those 2 spruce trees that kinds stuck up more? Ok. Well go straight up from the higher up one to the first star. Then the star we are talking about is about a peace sign away". Good times. However, I was so caught up in stargazing I didn't notice just how cold it actually is. When I got to my tent t found it was covered in frost. How charming. So now I am buried under blankets wearing a hoodie and a sweater and kind of lying between two stumps that apparently live under my tent. And I smell like campfire. I love this. Oh I really do! Goodnight all!

just 2 things. i think

Apparently I am a little bit famous after the whole Created Beautiful thing since people now know my name. A girl out at camp was telling me how funny we were. Which is great that they enjoyed the drama stuff but I feel bad since I did not think much of it up. Only one sketch really. I didn't actually have much to do with it. But I think it's still ok to smile and laugh and say "yeah, that was fun." because I did have fun. It's just a little strange for me to be recognized for something I did instead of for being my brother's sister.

This morning at camp the plan was to wake the campers up early and then kind of recreate refugee scenario. The kids are given profiles of refugees and then they must hike through the bushes through checkstops and avoiding border patrols. It is supposed to raise awarness about refugees. Which i'm sure it will. And i'm sure there is not anything wrong with it. Afterall someone has made this whole thing up with a debriefing book and everything. But it doesn't quite sit right with me. I feel that recreating the terror and hate experienced be refugees could be a little disrespectful. I met a man who escaped out of Afghanistan like 20 years ago. He told me how it was like the Berlin wall and the guards would kill any man, woman, or child caught trying to escape. I didn't really get the impression it was an experience he wanted anyone else to go through.
But perhaps I am being overly sensitive. After all I do have a history of being overly sensitive to tragedy. I guess I'll head out to camp and see how it went.
Oh. And I guess there's a third thing. The campers are allowed to have their cell phones this year. Weird.

i so badly need the next 2 weeks of holidays

Which Me Shall I Be?

It's super ridiculous but I am so excited! My instructor and one of my nursing buddies calls me SWAN!!! Which to me means that I've been the real me!

See, I kind of categorize what I'm called into 3 groups:
To many I am Katie--the quiet shy girl who just listens a lot and doesn't have a whole lot to say. Pretty forgettable.
Then there are quite a few who know me as Katie Swan--simply distinguishing me from the many other fantastic Katie's that they know.
Finally there are those who call me Swan, Swanny, Swan Princess and these people are the ones who recognize that I'm a troublemaker at heart, they've heard me laugh out loud, and talk, and argue, and get angry or upset. Be way overly dramatic, exaggerate to the point of outlandish. They've seen a whole lot more of me than shows when you first meet me.

And I'm so excited that they feel comfortable calling me Swan. I mean, they haven't seen all of my craziness since I'm supposed to be rather professional....but there have been "water" fights in the med room (by "water" I mean prefilled normal saline syringes make great weapons).

I hope that when I figure out where I'm going I get to be the crazy person I want to be. That I'll overcome the awkwardness I first have when meeting people.
I hate to ask for so much, but I would love for God to give me some sort of direction, and to help me find that place and be all the crazy I can be.
I like to think that somehow my crazy reflects Him.

Oh! And I've heard that finding apartments in Winnipeg is like pulling teeth out of an angry rhino...and in January no one will be moving because it's COLD++++. So now I had seriously been like "hmm...I could totally go to Winnipeg" but now I'm afraid that living in my car until spring is not really a good option...but I dunno what to do!!! Gotta seek God's will some more.

Where Am I Going God?

I'm tired.
I'm burnt out.
I have the hiccups.
And I don't know what I'm doing
or where I'm going
I know I don't need to make up my mind now
But in the next few weeks it'd be nice
So I can find a job
And fill out the appropriate paperwork
Because if I leave Alberta
there will be a lot of paperwork.
I think my hiccups stopped.
So I'll be praying for some sort of vision
A dream.
A purpose.
And if ya'll think of it...pray for me? please?
I'm going to sleep now.