Sisters in the Great Outdoors

This past weekend I attended something I think every ward should do: a relief society camp out. No men, no kids, just sisters in the great outdoors (I always hate when a movie's title gets used in the movie but if you can't beat 'em...). Not that I don't love my husband or the kids, but it was such a crazy change from my usual life it was refreshing and unexpectedly calming. It is true that women need other women. As much fun as we're having here in NY I miss the familiar unspoken bond of long term friends back home or the necessary bond of wives-of-medical-students-living-in-a-foreign-country in Grenada. So it was comforting to be thrown out of my comfort zone and into a 2 hour car ride with four sisters from the ward that I knew to varying degrees, a tent with an awesome girl I had only had a couple of conversations with previously, and into canoes on a freezing cold lake with 10 women, a majority of which decided to jump in--only one of us had a swim suit on (I had on a turtle neck sweater). The mountain were breathtaking, the lake invigorating, and the campfire soothing. I felt renewed and peacefully happy. I think I'd like to live on a lake someday--in the case of not living by the beach due to crazy Hawaii prices.

Some highlights of the trip:

-Scout's homemade oreos in the car. Gotta get that recipe from her or Mariko (and since Mighty reads this blog I'm hoping this not so subtle hint hits home).

-Susan's waterspout hairstyle courtesy of Nadiya who brushed aside Scout's feeble attempts on account of Scout and I only having boys. Susan had just previously applied her make-up in the car going to the campsite. Patricia, the driver, had reserved the front seat for Su specifically because she was expecting some primping. So the little girl, whalespout hairdo was classic.

-Bringing only a bookbag with one change of clothes, a first aid kit, a GPS and a pillow and ending up being toasty warm in my borrowed sleeping bags and tent. I felt really bad for Jen who was the only cold one in our tent.

-Driving back and forth for half an hour because both the driver and navigator who really know the area well and have been to the camp many times couldn't figure out where it was. Then when finally giving in and accepting the GPS, they inputed the wrong address. 18 Route 272 is quite a ways away from 1800 Route 272.

-Learning about the Roller Derby from some of the girls. I totally want to go to one for a date night. I think it'd be so surreal and a rowdy good time. Okay, just checked the website and there's a doubleheader this Saturday. Wish me luck getting a babysitter.

-Staring at the fire, thinking deep thoughts. No, I will not share them with you. Go find a fire of your own.

-Our one and only campfire game--telling about one of our scars (either physical or emotional, personal or one we inflicted--not that it started out that way but people started stretching "scar). I won't share the emotional scar even though it was hilarious (well, years later anyway) but here's one memorable physical scar inflicted upon someone else. When ___ was a little girl in elementary school she was playing with a friend in the school yard when a stray dog wandered in and bit her friend on her hand. It really clamped on so _____grabbed a rock to throw at the dog. And missed. Nope, she didn't hit her friend instead. The rock bounced off the ground and hit a nearby boy in the forehead, knocking him unconscious. An ambulance had to come for both the friend and the boy. And ___ was called into the principal office where I'm sure she got to explain that she hadn't deliberately knocked out some poor kid and didn't have violent tendencies. Then years later she and the boy had a class together and he still had the scar. She told him it was she who had inflicted it on him and they became friends. I wondered if maybe the boy had concocted some more manly reason why he had a scar on his forehead to tell his friends in high school and maybe wasn't too happy to be outed as being the boy who got knocked out by a girl.

-Getting to pee at 7:30am the next morning after holding it since midnight when I couldn't bring myself to leave the warmth of the tent for the icy death that lay just beyond the zipper door. Not my best idea ever. Or the best night's sleep.

-The morning fire. Not made by me. Oo, oo, and morning s'mores. Nice. The breakfast was also great with yogurt, granola, and fresh peaches and strawberries.

-The morning spiritual thought. It began with a bundle of sticks that shouldn't have been broken but due to Cami's inhuman strength was broken not once but twice (even the already shortened bundle couldn't survive her brawn), thereby nullifying the intended message that through unity we are invincible. Apparently the Adversary had better think twice before taking on Cami. But I suppose we could also take away from the botched object lesson that we can't simply rely on the group to sustain us. We have to try to work on our own strength so that we're contributing to the whole. But watch out for that Cami chick.

-Canoeing in the lake. Suvi (spelling?) and I had to go and choose the leaky one so we really got a good arm workout. It kept getting heavier and heavier on the way back and we had water past our ankles. I tried bailing with my sneaker but to no effect. I'm so glad I decided to jump on the bandwagon and swim despite the cold and my lack of appropriate attire. It. Was. Awesome. Totally worth it. The freezing in wet clothes on the way back to the dock or the walk back to camp was less fun. But still awesome.

-Discussing Caribbean versus Hawaiian cuisine with Pat who then actually made some bakes for me on Sunday but couldn't find me. Can't wait till next Sunday.

-Lunch: wraps with hummus, tri-colored peppers, avocado, smoky ham, havarti cheese, sprouts and tomatoes. The perfect outdoor lunch spread.

And more than individual events, I really enjoyed talking with so many different women and getting glimpses into other worlds of life beyond my own narrow one. Women who work in the financial district (totally a foreign world for me), women who have lived in Africa, Germany, Trinidad, and more, women who have just started college playing water polo or have kids all grown up and in colleges of their own. I met a girl whose husband is the grandson of Brother Zakimi from Manoa ward back home. So the world is both larger and smaller than you'd think.