day 1

bright and early this morning i got up to start a new chapter in my life.

i was on the road this morning by 8:30 heading for muskoka woods and 'sports resort' [i.e. summer camp] in rosseau, ontario. i got to the border and was confident until the guy behind the desk said: 'this is the wrong form' inner monologue: o crap! i filled out the ones they told me to, at least i thought i did, i swear i did! ok stay calm, be polite tell them what diane told you. 'i was told to fill out these forms, they are the ones sent to me by the camp and i was told that if there were any problems to call the front office.' officer: 'well i'm not gonna call them.' o boy. great i get the guy with an attitude. 'go sit down and let us look through this.' then they call me back over 'we don't see how you qualify. this job can be filled by someone in canada how did you hear about it? are you a christian like this organization? they're stretching this pretty thin.' 'i'm sorry sir i was just told to fill out this paper work and that if there were problems to have you call the front office of the camp.' 'ok well is this the number?' 'yes' 'go sit while i call them' after thirty minutes or so. 'i'm gonna issue you the work permit but they're stretching this pretty thin.' 'i'm sorry sir but thank you for all your help i really appreciate it.'

so i continue on my journey, making sure to watch my speed since i have to pay attention to the little numbers and not the big ones. i also changed my gps to measure using km since it's got an odometer on it too it was easier to use that one than the little numbers. i stopped about noon at a 'service center' and got some chicken nuggets at wendy's [canada you just got a point for having wendy's]. so instead of rest stops in canada they have these service centers which are basically what you find on a toll road, gas, food, bathroom, so you don't have to get off the highway. i like it i think it's easier. anyway i continued on my journey again with my GPS guiding me [thank you mom] and just as i'm starting to think i might make it to camp on one tank of gas i double check my miles to empty and my miles to go [well km at this point] and i'm off by like 10. fail. so i stop at another service center for gas. this service center had a drive through mcdonald's but it was in like a tunnel and the gas pumps were in like a tunnel too there was a building on top of them it was weird but whatever. i also learned my first lesson from canada at this stop. DON'T BE OUTSIDE THE CAR IN -3 DEGREES WITHOUT GLOVES FOR MORE THAN 30 SECONDS!!!! my fingers hurt by the time i got back in the car, but i warmed them up and they seem to be doing fine now.

i finally get off the highway and by this time i've had a super sized biggby coffee and a fuze so i REALLY gotta pee. i was hoping there would be a gas station or something i could stop at but no such luck. as my GPS tells me i've got 300 meters to muskoka woods on the right i look to my right and see an unmarked driveway and think that can't be it, it's too close so i keep driving and there's NOTHING so i start freaking out and looking for a place to turn around when i come around the bend and see a gigantic sign for muskoka woods and i breathe a sigh of relief. i get through the gate and go into the office introduce myself to the elusive melissa [the person i've been in contact with] and ask for the bathroom because did i mention i REALLY REALLY have to pee. anyway after i get back from the bathroom josh shows me to my 'cabin' which is more like the townhouse at grand valley except that it has 5 bedrooms, each one of them has a half bath and the downstairs has two of the bedrooms plus a bathroom with three showers ans two toilets and a small living room.

i'm sharing a room with kandace. the room is roughly the size of my dorm freshman year at grand valley but it's shorter because of the half bath and i think it's a bit narrower. anyway kandace seems cool and easy to get along with and the other girls i've met seem pretty cool as well. the big surprise for the returning staffers was the plasma screen in the staff lounge it's gotta be like 30 or 40" maybe 50. they are all psyched for lost and guitar hero. personally i'm hoping numb3rs and ncis will have some awesome explosions for the big screen.

i'm told we get internet access in our cabin but there was a big storm so it's down right now. i'm sitting in the staff dining room right now. so there's still internet access i'm thinking that the signal booster got blown off a roof or something.

anyway i think i'm gonna head back and go to bed. it's gonna be a relatively early morning tomorrow and i'm tired from the long drive. i'll try to keep this updated as much and as often as i can. i'll get some pics of the place too and get them posted.

i miss all of you tons and if i could have brought you with me i would have but this is a chapter i need to at least start on my own. i know god is with me and he is the one i need to focus on right now.

from the canadaian north goodnight.