Camp Mendecino

Team Leaders kept insisting that Camp Mendecino would be a great experience: A chance to bond with your team, to experience some of California's great outdoors. Whomever you asked said the same thing. But it just didn't matter. There's always unease when it comes to such catch phrases as "team bonding" and "trust exercises". I suppose what's scary is learning about your teammates and realizing that you have nothing in common with them, and wondering why the hell you came out here in the first place. I may be getting ahead of myself. First, let me introduce you to my team for the next 10 months:

Team Leader - 31 years old, never participated in Americorps. Army for 2 years. Beta tested (means tested the earliest versions) of video games like Starcraft (My favorite) and Warcraft. Was rock, paper, scissors champion of his school. Completely bald with beard and moustache combo. Jacked, but sort of uncoordinated (a dangerous combo). Hilarious, he's very funny in a sarcastic way. Very relaxed, not a rule stickler like I originally assumed.

Boy #1 - Me

Boy #2 - 22 or 23, From Central Virginia. Classic southern simpleness. Enjoys long road trips (15 hours to New Orleans was apparently commonplace) for simple pleasures (shrimp gumbo.) Bought a 10,000 dollar ring for 2.5 year girlfriend as engagement before she broke up with him. He returned the ring at full price. Went on over 40 "dates" at Liberty College. Balding. Nicest dude. No mean words out of his mouth.

Boy #3 -18, From Vermont. Best word to describe him is "doofus". Maybe that's too strong in a negative sense. He's a nice enough kid, he's just loud and very blunt with his words. But he has this group of other 18 year olds that he hangs out with until all hours of the night. Won't know how big an issue the girls will have with him until we travel for our first 6 to 10 week project (we learn where and what it is tomorrow night.)

Girl #1 - 22, From Somewhere in Illinois. Most outgoing of the girls. Friendly. Has some sort of scars on her face from teen acne, or maybe something else. She's emotionally strong and very good at communicating. Fun. She may be a lesbian from her water bottle that is from an LGBTQ conference (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered and Questioning)

Girl #2 - I think about 20. From Orlando. The most opinionated of the crew. Never afraid to offer her opinion or stand up for what she believes. Easily the most confrontational. She's sort of the outcast right off the bat, but I got to spend some time with her and she's alright. Messed up home life and not much of a support system. I look forward to getting to know her better.

Girl #3 - 18. Denver. She's the bubbly smiley one. She's young and sorta takes a lot of flack for being naive. Never afraid to suggest an idea. Loves singing (in the shower too apparently) and theatre. She gets like a scolded puppy dog when someone calls her out for her constant input. So young and unafraid. Makes me feel young again.

Girl #4 - 22. Nashville. One of the 3 "mutes" on the team. Rarely speaks. Fairly noticeable southern accent. Black boyfriend from home (she's white.) Sorta cute, but very shy. Or maybe she has no personality. Dunno yet.

Girl #5 - 22. Boston. First quiet kid from Boston I've ever met. She's like 4'9" or something, really small. Went to Conn College. Relate to her well for it. But so quiet I don't have a great feel for her. She likes music a lot and listens to it on her ipod constantly during van trips.

Girl #6 - 18. Not sure where she's from. Know almost nothing about her. Hangs out with the young late night crowd I mentioned earlier.


Blogging is exhausting. I'll do Camp Mendecino tomorrow (it's like a summer camp type place) where I've been the past few days with no cell service.