Home, home, where I wanted to go...

When I was in middle school, a "miracle" occurred.

I was taken off of a 3 year waitlist and was able to finally attend Camp Seafarer.

Camp Seafarer, on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina!

It was a beautiful place, still is very special to me.

It became a haven for me, a home where I had friends who had more things in common with me than my friends at home. And so I began a change in my life. I changed from the W&L alum kid/Country Club crowd at home, into the Camp Seafarer/worldly kid. It was a huge shift, but my parents know 100% that if I didn't have my "camp family" I likely wouldn't be here today...I mean that with every ounce of my being... but that is a whole other story.

Here is a picture of my camp family (I'm the one in the middle with the huge hat and sunglasses):

...And Three of these women are either my bridesmaids or my MOH...

We had Johnny Seagull's who we'd write love letters to all summer, if not after that...
And we would listen and slow dance to Christopher Cross's "Sailing" at the end of our weekly dances...
Aren't all of the Flying Scots tied down at sunset beautiful?

Photos by: A. Creswick, R. Ney or moi!

Beach Towns

Being from a family with interests in sailing and an appreciation for nature means I grew up going to various beach towns as a child. Now that I am older, the fun of travelling to these towns is even greater, as I can try local cocktails, appreciate local art galleries, and cherish the time I spend with my parents. My favorite memories are from the beach, and I hit a lot of milestones at beach locations as we practically lived year-round at our family OBX house (lost first tooth, learned to ride bike, etc).



Photo by Tripadvisor

My Dad's parents owned a home in Corolla when I was a child. My grandfather purchased it in 1991 and we owned it until 2003 (when I was a freshman in college, sigh...) - when they couldn't take the "Yankee takeover" any longer. They were also increasing fees in a way that was not good business sense for those with "smaller" homes like ours (4BR being unheard of there now, really) and rented it to a few people on selected weeks during the peak season.



Photo by Snowbirdbeaches.com

My Dad's cousin owned a condo complex in Panama City, FL, which we visited, too. Panama City is where my family had a shipyard which built Liberty ships during the war, and a lot of my family either lived here, or grew up here at some point - including both of my Dad's parents!



Postcard of the Galen Beach hotel

My Grandparents ran a hotel on Key Biscayne for many years, which they sold before I was born, which was called the Galen Beach Hotel. They sold it to Sheraton and was renamed the Royal Biscayne Hotel before Hurricane Andrew. The current location of the hotel and some of its outside facilities are used by the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne on the same property. While in the Miami area, they lived in Coral Gables, FL at this time in a beautiful section which George Merrick designed in the 1920s. They love talking about that hotel, as it was a really fun time for my family.



Photo by Discover Georgia

During WWII, my grandfather lived outside of Brunswick, GA, while my great-grandfather ran the Liberty shipyards in Brunswick and Panama City, FL. So St. Simons has always been special to them.



Photo of Camp Seafarer aerial shot from Pimlico, NC government

I went to Camp Seafarer as a girl. This camp is located on "the Crystal Coast of North Carolina" and it is located in Arapahoe, NC, across the Neuse River from Cherry Point base. We would frequently visit New Bern, Oriental, and Morehead City with camp or as a family before and after my month-long session. When I worked at Seafarer I loved travelling around this part of the coast.



Photo by my cousin of my Dad and I on Kiawah last week

My Dad's cousin has a house on Kiawah Island, and that place is gorgeous. It is populated, but the developers have laid it out so it doesn't seem like it. You never worry about locked doors or dressing up here, which is the way I like my beach experience!


Where did you enjoy going for beach trips when you were young? Where do you travel to now?

Seafarer Counselor

Oh God Give me a Seafarer Counselor
By Johnny Seagull (who would like to marry a Seafarer
Counselor one day)

Oh God, give me a Seafarer counselor.
You know, the kind who rolls with the punches and does not throw them
The kind who is not afraid to stand on her bench and belt out songs, even in public places.
She does not think twice about sending in her card in the fall to tell the directors that "you can count on me in 2003," while she secretly hopes that she can check a box to remain a counselor forever
For her pet peeve is when people who do not understand camp and ask her when she is finally going to get a "real job."
For when did impacting the lives of hundreds of children not become a "real job?"

Oh God, give me a Seafarer counselor.
You know, the kind who is more than willing to blow a month's pay check on a midnight party for her cabin who has been amazing, or for her cabin who has had its run of problems, or "wrinkles."
A Seafarer counselor is understanding, compassionate, and most importantly, a role model.
She goes to sleep way after her campers, and wakes up before they do to encourage them that, yes, it is once again a beautiful day in Arapahoe, NC.
However, the liquid sunshine days are of course beautiful, too.
Who would want to continue napping when there are intense games of cards and Mafia, fashion shows and manicures, and curious campers wanting to drill their counselors about everything in life imaginable??

Oh God, give me a Seafarer counselor.
You know, the kind who teaches first ranks over and over again until the words become almost automatic, yet she is just as enthused for the camper who gets her Private on the closing day of camp as for the girl who has worked for ten years for her general.
She reports to her activity chief, or master, everyday with a willing heart to teach and play with children.
And the chiefs secretly know that their activity has the best staff she could possibly imagine.
Everyone she meets is an equal in her eyes.
She is sharp to notice the "stand out great kids" who are not struggling; however, she knows that the ones that do not stand out that they are the ones that need her the most.

Oh God, give me a Seafarer counselor.
You know, the kind who forgets that it is 100 degrees outside (except for when she needs to put sunscreen on her kids) and pumps her campers up to win the Spirit Flag.
Following by her example, the children forget temperature and scream and jump and cheer their hearts out, despite the sweat that has overcome their little bodies.
It is all worth it when Susie Seafarer can write home and tell her parents that her cabin is the most spirited and they have possessed the flag.
A Seafarer counselor almost forgets that she is even a person who has needs also, for
her focus remains on her campers at all times.
She is the most unselfish person that you will ever meet.

Oh God, give me a Seafarer counselor.
You know, the kind who knows that she is the person she is today because of camp.
Whether she has grown up at Camp Seafarer, or she has spent one summer there, she is inevitably changed for the better.
It is amazing how camp has a way of doing that.
The new counselor is not afraid to admit that, at summer's end, that yes, the "cult" that has claimed so many victims possesses another member for its growing group of the most incredible people you will ever meet.
The school year will be spent with the risk of being yelled at by "un-cult" members if she tells another story that starts out "One Time, at Seafarer..."

Oh God, give me a Seafarer counselor.
You know, the kind who knows that for a good skit there must be costumes, a good song, and someone willing to act crazy.
She knows that life without television and a phone is doable, and nothing can compare to a Seafarer sunset on the pier.
She is even a little grateful for reveille and the rest period bugle because it means it is time to get out of bed and go have some more fun.
She not only will run a marathon to send kids to camp, but she will wear a mullet wig proudly to the finish line.
She does not take a dessert if there are not enough, she stays up to write her campers notes that will greet them and encourage them when they wake up, and she has an
unbelievable appreciation for rest period.
She knows that there is nothing better than coming back from time off with little notes on her bed telling her that she was missed.
It is often said that camp is not the real world, but isn't that a shame?
These are the reasons why I want a Seafarer Counselor.
Amen