turn this hokie camp YELLOW

From Wednesday until late last night, I was at Smith Mountain Lake for HOKIE CAMP. I flew down to Roanoke (yes, it's a 30 minute flight), and then we were bused to the 4-H camp at SML for a few days.

Wednesday was training day, so it was just the counselors at camp. We did a walk-through of camp, played a little dodge ball, decorated our color rooms, and had a pool party at night! But the fun didn't really start until the campers got there the next day...

On Thursday morning we all woke up at the crack of dawn, and some of us went back to Blacksburg to pick up the freshmen while others stayed behind to get the camp ready for them to arrive. I stayed behind to decorate the WigWam for the freshmen, make up our intros and rules skit, and bond with the other yellow counselors!

I will never forget how LOUD all of the counselors were screaming as those buses pulled up to camp. Seeing the freshmen's faces as they came off the buses was PRICELESS. They easily had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

We spent the next 3 days and 2 nights doing all sorts of team building activities and icebreakers, making up and screaming cheers for yellow tribe, playing dodge ball and ultimate frisbee, dancing our butts off at the dance party and in the WigWam when we would have our flash raves, going canoeing and kayaking on the lake, eating lots of meals and snacks, learning about VT traditions and service, doing the awkward indian, and holding campfires at night.

Although the Yellow Tribe did not win the Hokie Cup (congrats Gray!), we accomplished what we were really loved...FRIENDSHIP and BONDING! I love you Torgies, Yellow Tribe, and Hokie Camp.

My favorite memory of Hokie Camp was the campfire on the final night. All day the counselors were pumping up this "guest speaker" that was coming to talk. Turns out that super special guest speaker was them, the Class of 2015! At first they did seem pretty disappointed, but after awhile campers were dying to get up and talk. 

The 3rd speaker was one of my freshmen from Orientation, Tim. The first thing he talked about was how Orientation had changed his life, and he even mentioned my name as his OL. I was absolutely blown away! I was so happy that I was crying tears of joy (of course) on Sandy's shoulder, and he whispered in my ear "You did it, Christine. You made an impact on your freshmen." It was an Orientation Leader and Hokie Camp Counselor's dream come true.

I can't wait for you to get to Blacksburg, Class of 2015 Hokies!