doing great!

Hi everyone! Maine is beautiful! the sun is shinning and the weather is ffinnee! Wednesday was an amazing day for me because it was the FINAL day of our climbing training! Thanks to Andrew i am now qualified to operate the high ropes course, zipline, low ropes course and of course the climbing wall. After having 13 hour days i can't say i am sad it is over but, i am defiantly glad it happened. I will probably never in my life get to go on a zipline twice, do all the high elements and rock climb. It was truly the experience of a lifetime. I also formed great friendships with the climbing people! On Thursday about 160 other cabin staff unloaded on to Camp! Baxter campus had a huge addition of about 20 girls and they are awesome! I am so lucky that I am going to get to work with the ladies of Baxter all summer! Staff orientation has been so amazing and it feels like i am back at summer camp! We have been playing ice breaker games, speed dating, having campus wars and wearing some crazy clothes! OH AND I WON BINGO AND GOT A T-SHIRT! Next Saturday 500 campers will arrive here at Camp Laurel but, we are working really hard to get ready for them! Stay tuned for some pictures of my day off in freeport in just a few days! Miss you all! Send me a letter! 


xoxoxoxo HayUp

Made it!

Hello all! Thanks to all of your prayers I successfully made it to Camp Laurel at about noon yesterday! I woke up at 5 am to finish packing and catch my 7am flight to philly. Once i got to philly I had to catch a literally airport bus across the airport to get to my gate and catch my flight to Portland, Maine where i got picked up from the airport. I braved the airports like a champ! Camp is absolutely beautiful! The lake is shimmering and the landscape is beautiful! For the past 2 evenings that i have been here the sunset has been breathtaking especially on the lake! Oh and the food is good too! Only about 25% of the staff is here but i really like all of the people i have met so far! My day today was jam packed! I left my cabin at 730am and got back at 8pm this evening! I am pooooped and I have to get up and do it all over again tomorrow! We have been training to work on the rock wall and ropes courses. I really like all of the people i am with! Right now i have two roommates and they are super cool, both from new England area, and we have a lot in common! One of the things we learned how to operate today was something called "the flying squirrel". I got to do this today while the sun was setting and it was so gorgeous and such an adrenaline rush! 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE_h-rSUp_g


Here are some pics so far....

Camp Laurel

THIS IS IT! All of you have heard me blabbing about this for months and the time has finally come for me to leave for camp in Maine! I would like to, first, thank everyone for being my support system and for  getting me to this point in my life. This dream began as a camper at crosspoint and chaperoning and leading beach camp, campouts and camp jonah has all all been in preparation for this summer. For those of you that are not aware of what I am doing I will be working as a Climbing instructor and cabin counselor at Camp Laurel in Readfield, Maine. I have never been to Maine, I have never been to this Camp, and i know nobody that I am going to be with.  All of the stress and fears have been building up  this past week but, in a surreal moment I am stopping to really look these fears in the face and acknowledge the fact that whether i sink or swim is up to me. For all of my friends and family reading this please know how much i will miss you and how thankful i am that you all provided encouragement when i needed it!  There is a part of my that wishes i was staying in Wilmington but i know my calling is elsewhere. The lyrics to Casting Crowns' song "Jesus friend of Sinners" the lyrics are...

Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers

Let our hearts be led my mercy

Help us reach with open hearts and open doors

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours. 

I hope that all of you will write to me and follow my blog! I am having a little competition this summer! Whoever can write me the best/most creative letter while I am at camp will get a souvenir!!! So...in the letter maybe include t-shirt size and favorite color! I have artsy and creative friends, i have high expectations for all of you! 

Hayley Upton-Staff 

Camp Laurel 

PO BOX 327

Readfield Maine 04355

Have a great summer friends! Don't let Wilmington go up in flames without me!

ALSO check out camp at www.camplaurel.com 

Love Always,

HayUp

Summa Fun in Wilmy

I know it has been a few weeks since I have posted but my time has been spent packing, going to the beach and pool, babysitting, strawberry picking, emergency root canals and family trips to Charleston! A picture is worth 1,000 words so here ya go....

 photo cred sarah mc

 photo cred sarah mc

lunch at the battery

steps of the market