Oooooof. This might have been the longest week yet. Nothing bad happened, thank goodness. It was just very long and full of actually working. Your girl has a J-O-B!
I am broadcasting LIVE from Acadia, Maine! *I won't tell you exactly because safety and whatnot*
This week has been full of driving - Sunday night, I left Philadelphia around 8pm and headed into and out of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and finally Maine. I stopped in a random Walmart parking lot in Connecticut around 1am and made it to Maine Monday afternoon. The house loomed above me and the inside was Humungous. I mean, LARGE. I got up to my room, with it's single twin bed and bedside table and got to work unpacking. I'd completed the move just before 5pm when one of my roommates arrived. His name is Spencer. He has lived in camp housing for the last year, staying over between seasons which are exactly 6 months apart. I was the first to arrive of new housemates. Lauren, the J1 team, and a few others were due the following week.
Once I'd completed the move in, I was wired, so I went in search of a margarita. It was Monday, after all. And I didn't have to start working until Wednesday morning. I filled myself up on margaritas and queso and made it home before nightfall, easily slipping into a deep deep slumber.
The next day, Spencer advised me that the people next door were hosting some sort of game night, that he definitely wasn't going, but that I could pop over if I wanted to. I grabbed a six pack, some shooters, and walked in the dark to next door. They had no idea who I was and thought I was selling something. Nick opened the door in dreads, a poncho, and a flowing skirt. He introduced me to his cat, Hades. Hades had allergies so he had to wear a rather large cone that he didn't seem to notice. He was aimlessly licking at his haunch, which meant he was licking his cone over and over, never touching his skin. It was adorable. I was also introduced to Olivia, Katie, and Chloe. Chloe was Nick's partner and they had an amazing sense of style that paired red-lined curvy eye make up and homemade earrings that stretched to a point just over their shoulder. They were all at least seven years younger than me and I felt another tinge of jealousy. I assumed I wouldn't be able to relate or become friends with them very easily because of the age gap. Turns out, I was completely wrong about that.
We stayed up pretty late talking as the other four roommates (all guys) played Axis and Allies in the next room. I had a lot of questions about the camp and the person I was supposed to be working with. I wanted to make sure I knew as much as possible before being thrust into the unknown. We did pink Whitney shots and fireball, drank the six pack of my cider, and I was offered lots of wine options. It was nice to know I was not the only heavy drinker in the group. They liked to go hard when necessary.
The next day, at orientation, I got to meet most of the rest of the staff. There were five major groups of us: Front Desk (me), House Keeping, Facilities, GEC (experience coordinators), and Food. Everyone was very nice and non-judgmental. I think it's a good group. We spent five hours going over camp information and HR-related tasks and then finally got to go to camp to see it and have some pizza. From there, I was excused to do four hours of First Aid and CPR training (your girl is CPR certified for the next two years!). This was mostly online and I fell asleep more times than I care to admit. I took the test for it in-person the next day and passed with the other night auditor, David.
We mostly did housekeeping tasks at camp the next day and left around 4:30. Olivia (whom prefers to be called Liv) and Katie went to dinner with me and we had - you guessed it! - margaritas. So many margaritas! We walked there and back and were giggling the entire walk home. Liv had taken her margarita glass with her when we left, so she was losing it constantly. Once we made it back to the houses, (we were next door neighbors, if you recall), they stopped in to see our layout and wanted to stay in our huge living room space. We talked and giggled and took photos of Liv inside our shelving unit before heading back over to their house (there's a large cabinet with a hole in the wall behind it - weird, I know). Once there, we somehow drank two and a half bottles of wine between us. Nick eventually joined us with a married couple from another house (Sarah #2 and her husband that definitely has a name). There's probably five or six houses between all of us.
Once I'd had enough wine, it was only about 9:30pm, but I was completely ready for bed. I left to walk back next door and immediately fell into bed and then a deep slumber. I didn't even need a movie playing, I was that tired. I woke up the next day completely not-hungover somehow and headed to work again. Friday was spent sanding and staining deck chairs and tables with Nevada and Hailey.
At 1pm, we were released and the plan was for Liv and I to head back to a Mexican restaurant for Margaritas Part Dos. It was Cinco de Mayo, after all! We had two pitchers again, but less of us this time. By time we walked out of there, I was very intoxicated. I wasn't able to eat my full meal, which was 100% a mistake on my part. We got back to Liv's house and everyone was over to head to a stargazing event at the camp. I knew I was not going to make it there and back without dying, so I stayed behind and hung out with Katie for a little while before stumbling back to my own house and collapsing into bed.
I honestly thought I'd be doing a lot less drinking out here, but shit happens. Once I am on my night schedule and settled into a routine, that's when I'll be able to cut back since I won't be going to a lot of the "after-work" hangs at the other houses. So I will finish the cider in the fridge and curb the drinking. These kids are just too wild for my old ass! I kid, I kid.
There is only one gym out here and it only has so many machines. Apparently the house connected to us goes every morning at 6am. I will not be joining them at 6am. I did need to get started on training for the PCT. The faster I can hike, the later in the season I can start. Tara's wedding is next May, early in the month, so I should be able to drive out west and start the PCT before the end of May. I need to be able to hike it in less than five months. I'm jumping all over the place again, apologies!
Saturday was spent entirely in bed, aside for a quick walk over to the young blood house to get my leftovers. It was necessary. I had my first real hangover in a long time. Carbs are always the answer to hangovers.
The plan for Sunday was to head into Bangor and do some shopping, purchase some party favors, and sleep sleep sleep. I need to get into my overnight sleeping schedule, so my plan is to sleep until Right Before we leave and then stay up as long as possible. I'm hoping that before Thursday, I will be mostly acclimated to night shift. 10 hours a night all by myself is going to be hard, but I'm going to figure it out and work it out. On my off days, I have compiled a list of hikes in Bar Harbor to start my PCT training. Alex might also come into town late next week or soon thereafter. It'll be nice to share Maine with someone!
We went to Bangor at 8:30am. We got into town and hit Target for some cash back, then Sally's for some hair dye, then the liquor store because we owed Gus for making us Old Fashions. Then we went to a dispensary and we ended at a restaurant that was borderline terrible. But we had fun. Our last stop was piercings! I got my two eyebrow piercings back, and then we headed back to Ellsworth to chill out.
Once back, I taught a few people how to win at Egyptian Rat Screw and then we ended our nights around 10pm. I popped a party favor and settled in to watch The Mummy. Because who am I if not predictable?
Join me next weekend when I will finally have an actual rundown of how my first overnight shifts go at work. I should have some visits from Alex as well, if the plans go through. Until then, adios amigos :)
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