The Lovely Camp Counselor

That girl and I had a great time.

We listened to Celtic Woman's Chloe and Dvorak and the soundtrack from Lord of the Rings on the 10-hour drive down to North Carolina while we discussed The Life of the 21st Century College Woman.

We stayed in a terrific motel and had a hilarious conversation with a couple hitting the hot tub with their two young children. They wanted to know if the camp was a religious one and, used to my own diverse and tolerant community, I explained that, while its origins had been Christian, it was now more in the realm of "spiritual" rather than denominational, and that I thought that anyone who did not have religious dietary restrictions (i.e., my own Orthodox Jewish students) could be comfortable there. Then I learned that they were conservative Christians in the process of moving from New York to northern North Carolina to get away from . . . uh . . . people . . . like me. They were very nice about it, though.

Camp is GREAT. I am always amazed that, in this tiny mountain valley of western North Carolina, an international community creates itself around the concept of "a child's world" of music, art, drama, sports, and camping every summer. The daughter and colleagues have an entire week of orientation -- programming, child psychology, safety and emergency procedures, communciation skills, outdoor skills -- this camp doesn't mess around with the well-being of its very young campers. For this week, the lovely counselor is the only American in her cabin of eight girls from England, New Zealand, and Russia. (The one we met who filled us in is a grad student from England; all the counselors must have at least a year of college behind them.) Next Thursday night, after 24 hours off, they'll get their official cabin assignments and first roster of campers, who will arrive Friday morning.

She's going to work hard this summer, and I'm already missing her terribly. But I couldn't be happier that she has this opportunity.