Things I learned from Gandalf

I wrote an earlier post called "Must've Missed the Memo" about a few things I feel like I missed out on, like Star Wars, organized sports, and guacamole. I felt especially sorry about missing out on Lord of the Rings - I've never read the books or seen the movies. Earlier this spring I set out to fix that. I picked up the books from a nice man at a used bookstore (when I bought the second after finishing the first one which I had bought only five days earlier, he told me if he saw me again inside a week, he'd have me committed) and dug in. I devoured them and just finished last night.

I am so glad I took the time to get through these books! They are fantastic. I love Tolkien's writing, even if it does take a little extra concentration to fully comprehend what's going on. I love the descriptions, the history, the comedic moments. I love that Tolkien was so invested in the story that he made footnotes, appendices, and an index.

Have you ever finished a book and just needed to sit in silence, just feeling the amazement? I couldn't put into words how I felt about this story. So I sat, and tried to understand why I loved it so much. I guess it's just the final triumph of good over evil, despite huge obstacles, and the ultimate happy ending.

There were so many lines, paragraphs, and whole chapters that I loved. I re-read them many times, saturating my mind with the language and the implications. Here's one that I especially loved, since I find it relevant to my own life at this moment. Aragorn has asked the hobbits to stay with him a little longer, and Frodo speaks with Gandalf to find out if he might know what Aragorn has been waiting for.

And Gandalf said: "Many folk like to know beforehand what is to be set on the table; but those who have laboured to prepare the feast like to keep their secret; for wonder makes the words of praise louder. And Aragorn himself waits for a sign."

Wonder makes the words of praise louder.

The friendly type

This is the fourth season that I have spent part or all of my summer (which has now arbitrarily been defined as May-August) working at Camp Evergreen. I love it here! As a camper I attended for eight summers, and had the best time trying new things, being away from home, and making new friends.

As a staff member I have been less excited to try new things, be away from home, and make new friends - especially to make new friends. Every year the staff team is different. There's a different dynamic to fit into and to understand. It's terrifying! The question of how I'll fit in with this year's team is the one that haunts me before I show up at camp in the beginning of May.

Of course, it's never as bad as I think it's going to be, and we all become friends quickly. Exclusive friendships always develop, and that's natural, but generally the staff are pretty good at bonding as a group and becoming a community. It's fantastic!

This year hasn't been any different. The twenty-odd staff have established a great sense of community that extends to each person. Each person has a different set of talents to lend to this team.

This year's team is fairly imbalanced, with about four times as many girls. Anywhere else, this might be the recipe for a summer of drama, petty arguments, and general cattiness. Nothing like that has happened here, thankfully! It's still early, of course, but so far all seems to be going well.

I'm especially thankful, in particular, for my new friend Liz! I was psyched to read my name among the shout-outs in her blog today. Thanks Liz! Making friends with you was jumping into the deep end for me - you might have guessed that I NEVER make the first move when it comes to making friends. I ALWAYS wait for people to talk to me first. I'm happy that we're alike, and I would like to make music with you before I leave, and I wish I could stay longer and that we could be friends in the outside world as well.

Making new friends. Not so scary.

I'm writing posts elsewhere.

So this is my own private blog, and for the most part, I don't flash it around. There is a small group of people to whom I advertise my posts (well... anyone following my Twitter account...) and I'm comfortable with them seeing it.

I've taken on the role of blog-poster at Camp Evergreen, where I'm currently working. This means I can write posts (which I really like doing!) and let everyone know about them. I'm excited about writing! I just wrote a post on camp's blog about our first annual general meeting. It was fun to write! I may have gone a little too far with the figurative language and the alliteration. Anyway, check it out here, if you feel so inclined!

Relocation

I'm moving, with my family, in July, to a beautiful city called Kelowna. Most people know, but it will be news to some.

Kelowna is a city of lakes and dry hills, highways and nature walks, orchards and malls, beaches and ski hills. It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. The memories I have of the city make it more beautiful, in my mind.

My relationship with Kelowna is complicated.. All my life we've made the trip there and back at least once a year, since we've always had family there. I also spent my last two years of high school in Kelowna. I know the city moderately well, but my opinion of it is constantly changing.

I love Kelowna because it's beautiful. I love the lakes, the orchards, the back roads, the local non-touristy beaches. I dislike Kelowna because it's a desert disguised as an oasis, and with that comes the summer days above 35 degrees, the snowless brown and grey winters, and the excessive wasteful watering of lawns.

I love Kelowna because of the family we have there. My cousins are my age, and we spent a lot of time together in the few years that we lived there. I dislike Kelowna because I haven't always felt welcomed there. Can a city itself be hostile? I think so. For some reason I never felt cool enough to live in Kelowna. Its citizens have style. They hang out in coffee shops and see live bands and know how to waterski. I feel as though you can't be homely and live in Kelowna. I'm half-expecting to be blacklisted for lacking style.

It's a big change. I don't have a plan. I really can't say with any certainty what I'll be doing once we've settled in the new house. I'll miss Lethbridge, but it's time for a change.

If this sounds somber, it's because that is exactly my feeling toward the move. I'm not devastated at leaving Lethbridge, the city where I've spent most of the last five years, nor am I overwhelmed with excitement about leaving the wind behind. I'm not terrified about being in a new place and having to find a new grocery store, but I'm also not itching to spend every day tanning on the beach.

I am moving, and I have accepted it with cautious anticipation. Here we go - further up and further in.