Ready, Set, Orientate

(I was planning to write this last night, when it made more sense, but the internet wasn't working. So pretend I wrote this yesterday. haha.)

I love Conference Grounds orientation. And not just because all of our meals are provided for 3 straight days. Or the free pie and ice cream. :)
I love orientation because it means that I'm going to get to see all of my favorite people every day again. It's 3 days of meetings and activities and team bonding, not to mention great food, new people, and LOTS of laughter.

We started unofficially tonight with some pizza and Boscos (yum) and a couple of games designed to have people get to know each other. I had to man the store, so I missed most of it, but what I did get to sit in on was hilarious. The end result was that people got into pairs (often inter-generational) and they had to introduce each other to the rest of the staff. The multi-generationalism of the Conference Grounds staff is one of my favorite things here. I haven't held many jobs in my short lifetime, but I'm fairly sure that most places do not employ people of such diverse ages. If they do, the older people are typically in positions of power over the younger people. That's still true here, but I almost never notice it. We are more focused on being a community of equals than on being part of a hierarchy of power, which is something that makes this a perfect environment in which to work.

Wednesday and Thursday are devoted to departmental meetings, training sessions for the new staff members,  preparations, and, of course, more great food. Mealtimes are my favorite because the new members can mix in with the returning members and we all get to know each other a little better.
But I think my most favorite aspect of orientation is when the college staff hangs out at night after we're done with everything. All of us girls got together tonight to play Hot Seat, which, for those that are unfamiliar with it, is a game in which one person poses a question and everyone has to answer it. Technically, we tweaked the rules a bit (normally 1 person answers all the questions and everyone gets to ask), but we figured this way would be easier. Anyway, we talked about all manner of things, a few of which are not fit to print. :) We usually go out to Applebees for half-off appetizers during the week, or we watch a movie, or sometimes we do something totally insane. Last year (but not during orientation), we soaked all the boys' bathing suits and boxers and stuffed them in the freezer as a prank. We know how to have fun. :)

I'm very thankful to have been a part of a staff for the last 3 years that fit together so well and got along almost perfectly. This is especially important when you live in a cottage with 9 other girls. In all my years here, we have never had a problem with girls fighting or creating drama or making the cottage a tense place in which to live. I'll admit that when I saw my roommate assignment for last summer, I was very apprehensive because I was placed with Jessica and Becca and I hardly knew either of them. Things started off perfectly fine, and partway into Week 1, Becca pointed out that the three of us were constantly showing up in the same place at the same time. Whenever this happened, she would yell "CHINK!" like magnets attracting one another and we declared ourselves magnet roommates. From then on, we were somewhat inseparable and these two girls have become some of my closest friends. They even came to pick me up from Calvin the night that I returned from Spain even though Becca had to leave 6 hours later for Costa Rica. :)
I'm really really really hoping that this year will be similar. Jessica and I are roommates again, and our third roommate is a new staff member named Lindsey. People keep telling her to not be scared and not to believe anything that Jessica and I say (we may or may not be the two craziest people here), so hopefully she doesn't run away from us. :)

Part of the reason that Spain was so difficult was the anticipation of being here. That seems kind of backward; as in, it should have been easier to endure the time in Spain because I had something so fantastic to look forward to, but it was the opposite for me. I wanted so badly to be here instead of halfway across the world.

Now, I'm finally here, and I couldn't be happier. Summer 2011 - jankify. :)