silly gals

The trip to Mexico was for and about the girls. Lisa and I followed along and simply enjoyed the company of five great teenaged girls who handled themselves with poised maturity. Lisa and I were able to relax and, well, get silly at times. More silly than might befit women our age.

Again, I'll let some photos tell the story. I ain't proud! And Lisa, I hope you aren't, either.

Not even in focus, but this makes me laugh!



On the turi-bus in Mexico City



It rained. And was windy. We bought ponchos for pesos.

 

Lisa being a sport.

 What a blast. Last post: at the pyramids and heading home!

serving

A stay at Our Cabana is more than sightseeing. Each troop who visits prepares for a service project to carry out while there. We helped with a one-day event with about 75 children in a program called Vamos. The children come by bus to the Cabana for the day and enjoy games, crafts, lunch and playtime with the Girl Scouts and Guides.



the children arrive!

I don't think my words can describe the experience better than my photos, so I'll let them speak. Even with a language barrier, our girls spent an amazing day serving these disadvantaged children.



Lisa

Sam helping a little girl make a peace bracelet.



Emily and friend

 

Hannah



Game time



The swings were popular: many children had never been on one.



Saying goodbye with tears



more of Mexico

Five amazing girls: Katie, Hannah, Lindsay, Emily, Sam,
at the cathedral in Cuernavaca

Our second full day in Mexico we toured the bustling city of Cuernvaca. It had grown to over a million people and, in fact, Our Cabana is now inside the city. Thirty years ago, it sat at the edge of town. We toured the 500-year-old cathedral, wandered the markets and enjoyed cafe con leche together at a cafe.

Love, love Taxco (pronounced tahs-co), a silver-mining center way up in the mountains.


touring beautiful Taxco

This wasn't just a trip: preparation was everything. We worked for nearly two years with the girls in our troop who committed to the Cabana trip. I have a notebook filled with proof of their hard work. They planned their uniforms and tie-dyed special t-shirts. They planned crafts for service projects, practiced Spanish, and role played with each other. And of course they earned lots of money. Since none of the girls had extensive, if any, international travel experience, I shared with them the importance of representing themselves, their country and Girl Scouting to their very best. And wow did they come through! 

My co-leader Lisa and I were so proud of our girls. They made friends. They laughed, they embraced every new experience: food, bargaining in the markets, serving disadvantaged children, long bus rides, and climbing pyramids. They didn't whine or grumble. They just soaked it all in and rolled with the punches.

Sam and Katie in Tepotzlan

Cabana's craft house: popular spot!

This "perfect, 5 seats!" in the back of the bus created a bit of
motion sickness!



I gazed down this hallway for a minute. In 1976, I walked it many times a day ... my room was about halfway down: a simple dorm-type room where I lived that summer. Lots of memories and
lots of years between then and now.

More to come ...





vamos a México! - 2

In January 1976, my junior year of college, I applied for a summer job at Our Cabaña. When the letter of acceptance arrived (no e-mail then of course), I excitedly began planning for three months in Mexico as waterfront director at Our Cabaña.. I was 21 and before me lay a summer of incredible learning and growing.

In 1976, the Cabaña was nearing her 20th anniversary. As I stepped through the Chief's door with my girls thirty years later, I marveled at the Cabaña's timeless beauty and architecture, a testament to the foresight of those who designed her. The dormitories, (above), dining hall, Mixcoacalli (gathering spot for programs) and gardens were still lovingly well-kept.


see Lisa waving?

The craft house, a popular spot where girls and adults can work on Mexican crafts such as amate (bark) painting.

It was this very spot where my emotions overcame me in 2006. Memories of the summer here washed over me: flying alone to Mexico and navigating Mexico City, learning to lead groups on excursions, quickly picking up some Spanish, battling homesickness, and doing all my laundry by hand in a tub with washboard. This, mixed with the realization of how the years had marched on and changed me: marriage, raising 4 children, and losing my mother (my biggest cheerleader to take the job) just three years after that summer. And travel fatigue ... oh I was a mess and my deep emotions took me by complete surprise. I think my daughter Katie was baffled by my tears!


dining hall and pool .... love this spot, unchanged in 30 years

Our first day was spent settling in, learning names and the ins and outs of Cabaña living, games, and meals. There's always plenty to do at Our Cabaña and just enough free time. Similar to Girl Scout camp back home, girls pitch in for "kapers," the jobs of community living: table setting, meal serving, flag ceremony, and keeping their living areas neat.

girls in a getting acquainted activity

fun with my patrol

 flag ceremony: held each morning and evening

I've discovered many forgotten details of the trip in the journal I kept.
Tomorrow: sightseeing!



vamos a México!!

The trip took two years of planning: money-earning, planning weekends, and countless e-mails. Seven years ago this very moment, I was in Mexico with five teenaged Girl Scouts: Emily, Hannah, Katie, Lindsay and Sam, and my co-leader Lisa. Since this blog was still two years down the road, I got thinking about that trip and wanted to share with you.


Hannah, Katie and Emily on the flight to Mexico.

We flew to Mexico City via Charlotte on July 12, 2006. We met in my driveway at 4:00 a.m. all decked out in our Girl Scout uniforms. Perhaps not the first choice of teenaged girls, but they soon discovered their uniforms to be a passport in themselves.

Beginning at the Columbus airport, people noticed. The TSA worker commented on how great the girls looked. Two men in first class struck up a conversation as we boarded. Women in restrooms or waiting in line shared their fond Girl Scout memories. Flight attendants commented and asked the girls where we were headed.

I'm convinced that this attention while in uniform caused the girls to hold their heads high and be on their very best behavior. They ranged in age from 15 - 17 and they were awesome for the entire trip.

After a long day of travel, we arrived in Cuernavaca, Mexico at Our Cabaña, our home for the next ten days. Our Cabaña is an international program center for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Opened in 1957, she has welcomed thousands of girls and adults through her doors. Participants live dormitory-style with girls from around the world. They do everything together for their session: eat, do service projects, sightsee and learn about each other and Mexico's culture.

Posing by the pool at Our Cabana

As all visitors do, we entered Our Cabaña through the "Chief's door," emblazoned with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts' trefoil symbol in blue and gold. The moment I entered and stood overlooking the well-kept buildings and grounds, I burst into tears.

This was, after all, not my first visit to Our Cabaña. Exactly thirty years had passed since I had been here, and emotions overwhelmed me.

with daughter Katie at the Chief's door

mealtime at Our Cabaña

Next post ... sights, service and some silliness while in Mexico!

Kamp Kiwani reunion ~ faces!

Anne (Kanga), Cedar and me.

Cedar is well-loved by the hundreds of girls and staff who have spent summers at Kiwani.

Cedar directed camp and waterfront for many years.

Now a retired teacher, Cedar loves camp and is dear to our hearts!

Group photo!

It was fun to gather by "era" and snap some photos.

Girls of the 70's!

This is Pat. She has a huge heart for Kamp Kiwani

and its girls. "Always about the girls!" she told us.

Pat is special to my sister and me because she

knew our mother and worked with her as a Girl Scout volunteer.

It was precious to hear her memories of Mom.

Oh, Donut! I can't begin to express how special it was to

see you standing at the trading post, hug and then catch up on

each other's lives. Thirty-five years is a lot of catching up.

You're amazing, you're like a sister; love you!

And dear sis, thanks for pushing me to meet you at Kiwani.

I loved it ... and love you!

Day is done, gone the sun,

from the lake, from the hill, from the sky.

All is well, safely rest. God is nigh.



Kamp Kiwani ... Soapstone Falls and waterfront

A group of us old-timers set out on Saturday morning of our

reunion at Kamp Kiwani.

We were sillier and louder than 50-something women should be,

but did we ever have a ball.

We were in search of Soapstone Falls, a favorite destination of campers and staff.

Kanga found a map to the falls in an old camp manual in the "museum" at the Thunderbird.

Perfect! Off we paddled.



We paddled up a finger of the lake, pulled the canoes up, and slogged through the muck.

Laughing all the way!

We did stop long enough to notice these awesome mushrooms.

Our merry little band ... crazy, all of us!

And by golly, we found the "falls."

Water does still course this way, when there's rain.

And best of all, there's still a good supply of soapstone,

the soft, gray stone found in layers along the walls.

I carved a poem on one of those stones for

the sweet guy who became my husband.

He still has it.

On the way back, we spotted Pudd'n, trying out a funyak!

Sliding in to shore, we pulled up the canoes and headed to lunch.

A grand morning on the lake!

At last, my sis got to take out a sailboat. How she loved it!

Here we are together. What a ball!

Next: faces of the Kiwani reunion weekend.

Saturday at Kamp Kiwani

Kamp Kiwani is nearing her 50th year.

She was not even 10 when I first saw her.

Much has remained the same: the Thunderbird where campers and staff eat and gather,

the units of light green cabins and troop houses nestled in the woods,

main camp featuring the trading post,

and the waterfront where I spent many days teaching girls to swim.

But Kiwani is much more heavily wooded now, having 35 years to fill in with

hardwoods and pines. It feels like it needs a little more TLC than the Girl Scouts can afford,

in the way of forest management and trail upkeep. But 1,000 acres is a lot to maintain.

The unit by the lake was altered to include this fire circle and benches and it's beautiful. We all enjoyed a campfire and singing here on Saturday night.

The boathouse by Lake Okalowa. It hasn't changed a bit!

I stood on those steps all through the summer, handing out

life jackets and dribbling rubbing alcohol in girls' ears!

Love the boathouse ...

... love my sister, who insisted we go back to Kiwani!



Though my sister Anne (I mean Kanga) is a sailor,

she agreed to canoe with me. A group of us wanted to find Soapstone Falls,

a favorite destination of campers and staff.

Tomorrow: you'll see what we found!