Month: Jul 2019

Categories
Grace Koepele

The Happiest (And Most Theatrical?) Place on Earth

Last week I traveled to California to visit my cousin who recently moved to Marina Del Rey. I enjoyed spending the week doing some sightseeing (you know I couldn’t miss seeing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s star on the Walk of Fame), catching up with family, and trying lots of new food spots. My favorite part of the week, however, had to be the two days my mom and I spent at Disneyland.

A young woman (the author, Cami) wearing overalls dress and pink Mickey Mouse ears, poses in front of a castle at Disneyland.

I was lucky that my parents took me to Disney World a few times as a kid, and a lot of my best childhood memories were formed there. This recent trip was my first time ever visiting Disneyland. I had the best time getting to ride LOTS of rides, meeting Minnie Mouse, and trying a Mickey Mouse-shaped fruity pebbles funnel cake that was as amazing as it sounds. One thing I couldn’t help noticing is that Disneyland is a VERY theatrical place. Although you wouldn’t necessarily expect the park to be theatre-related, during my time there, I found that Disneyland has an undeniably theatrical spirit.

A plate of funnel cake, covered in fruity pebbles and whipped cream shaped like Mickey Mouse ears.

My delicious fruity pebbles funnel cake

First, every single person who works at Disneyland is referred to as a “cast member,” not an “employee.” This is because the Disneyland cast members are pretty much performing at all times. Disney obviously places the utmost importance on the happiness of its visitors, and its cast members are entrusted with the job of creating magical moments for guests. To do this, they are always friendly, smiling, and using a specific themed language to add to the immersive experience of Disneyland. They want to make the overall experience the best it can be.

Secondly, Disneyland is basically a hub of all things needed for a show—costumes, sets, props, etc. Each land in Disneyland has its own unique feel and set pieces that transport you to that area: Fantasyland is marked by Sleeping Beauty’s castle and brightly colored cottages, while Frontierland is adorned with red rock, railroads, and western style trading posts. In addition, Disney cast members and many of the guests are in costume. One of the best parts of Disneyland is seeing the adorable kids visiting the parks dressed like their favorite Disney characters.

A decorative white and gold wall shaped like towers and turrets in Disneyland.
A view of the teacup ride at Disneyland, with multiple people riding giant, colorful teacups underneath vines with hanging, colorful lanterns.

Lastly, Disneyland is packed with live performances every single day. While I was there, I saw Frozen Live at the Hyperion Theater. I had previously seen Frozen on Broadway, and while this was a condensed version of the story, the quality of both shows was pretty comparable. It’s geared towards families, of course, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciated the diverse casting that Disney used in this production. I love that there are opportunities to watch live theatre all day, every day at Disneyland.

With all of its theatrical elements, it’s probably not surprising that I cherished my time at Disneyland. I greatly appreciate the effort Disney puts into making their parks an immersive, interactive, and memorable experience. We were lucky enough to be there on Disneyland’s 64th birthday—commemorating 64 years of creating happiness and lifelong memories. Whether you’re a child or an adult, Disneyland can be a magical place for everyone. Most importantly, I love that Disneyland allows you to feel like a kid again, where everything is magical and anything is possible.

Fireworks explode at night over the lit up Disneyland castle.
Two women, Cami and her mother, stand in front of a building and Mickey Mouse-shaped garden with a circle sign that reads "We're 64 today!" for Disneyland's 64th anniversary.

Celebrating Disneyland’s 64th birthday

Categories
Grace Koepele Italy

Third Time’s The Charm

My third camp of the summer brought me to Cimadolmo, a small town nestled among the Prosecco hills of the northern Veneto region of Italy. Along with a South-African, a Canadian, and a fellow Michigander, we had an incredibly eventful first week.

Six young women pose outside in a row, smiling and wearing red or blue shirts that read "ACLE CAMP TUTOR."

At the beginning of the camp, the children were quite timid with our morning circle songs and activities—something that is not uncommon — but their level of apparent disinterest made me worry that they would be an unenthusiastic bunch. Thankfully, the first afternoon of habitat games came around and my worries were alleviated. In habitat games, we divide the campers into teams and have them compete in various relays to select the animals, colors, adjectives, and places that will become their team names. By the second game, practically every kid was invested in the competition and in the fate of their groupʼs name. Once the names were selected and each group began designing their team crests, every camper had at least one marker in hand and was making some contribution to the artwork. After this activity we soon came to know that any artistic endeavor required at least 30 extra minutes because the kids loved so much to draw and create absolutely anything.

Several young children lean over a large sheet of paper, coloring a landscape.

Other afternoon activities fortunately proved to stir similar levels of excitement throughout the week; during our camp-wide scavenger hunt we had one Freddy Mercury impersonator, three human pyramids, four love letters to for us tutors, and 35 giddy campers running from one side of the school to another in an effort to solve all of the tasks first.

A young boy with his back to the camera posts a drawing on an orange wall next to several other drawings.

Once water games day came around we were in for a treat. Not only did we have 200+ water balloons to launch at one another but also a surprise “celebrity” participant (a camper impersonating Johnny Depp), a couple “Baby Shark” references, three water-war waging tutors (including myself), four completely soaked helpers, 10+ water relays, and countless buckets of water poured on anyone within range.

Young children smile and pose for a selfie--one wearing large, red aviators with the remnants of a fake mustache on his lip.

We ended the first week of camp with an eclectic talent show featuring everything from magic tricks, to the Macarena (courtesy of our lovely camp director and assistant), to gymnastics, to a re-telling of a Roman battle, to a dramatic reenactment of the time I was chased by a moose (which featured one of our camp helpers giving another a piggy-back ride so that they could chase me around the stage pretending to be a moose).

In addition to the excitement of camp, during my first few days in Cimadolmo, the Prosecco hills surrounding the town were officially named a UNESCO heritage site! Over the weekend, my host family and I visited a castle on one of the hills, where we made friends with some donkeys, admired the panoramic view of the nearby towns and countryside, and hurried down the hill back to the car when a hail-storm began aggressively pelting us with hail. Due to the storm, we spent 30 minutes hiding under trees, bridges, and overhangs in our car rather than drinking Prosecco but the adventure was lovely just the same (although I think Prosecco would have improved my sentiments toward the situation…. and lowered my panic as we scurried from one partially-safe spot to another).

A beautiful Italian landscape with old, white buildings in the background, rolling green hills in the foreground, and stormy clouds brewing.

All in all I enjoyed my first week in Cimadolmo and I look forward to what little adventures come my way next week!

Til then, ciao for now!

Categories
Cami Hancock

My Seven Favorite Theatregoing Experiences

I am a firm believer in the powers of theatre. I believe theatre is capable of much more than entertainment—it can provide you an escape, lead you to ask questions, and force you to see the world from a different perspective. Playbill’s website has a series where they have Broadway performers share their favorite theatregoing experiences. I’ve had multiple theatre experiences that played major roles in fostering my love of the arts and that I truly consider to be life changing, so I figured I would share them with you. These are my favorite theatregoing experiences of all time:

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

I bought the script for this show at Target on a whim last summer, and I ended up devouring the entire thing in two days. Although I had only read one Harry Potter book at the time, I found the script to be utterly thrilling and heartwarming. I knew I had to see it performed on stage, and I got to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway last November. The show is a spectacle that uses mind-blowing special effects to create the magic of Harry Potter. To this day, I don’t know how they do some of the magic. The show is performed in two parts, each at three hours long, so it is not a brief piece of theatre. Even so, the play whizzes by. The story is like a moving train: you hop on and brace yourself for the wild journey ahead. 

A young woman (the author) stands in front of the Broadway sign for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Ramin Karimloo in Les Misérables

Les Misérables was one of the first musicals I ever saw on Broadway, and it left me absolutely blown away. I found it to be stunning and heartbreaking. I cried (literally) six times. Although I loved the entire production, the standout for me was Ramin Karimloo as Jean Valjean. He has a gorgeous baritone voice, and he possesses a warmth onstage that made it so easy to feel attached to him and cheer him on through the show’s trials and triumphs. 

Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812

The Great Comet was the first immersive, experimental piece of theatre I had seen, and it completely changed my idea of what theatre can be. The show transformed every inch of Broadway’s Imperial Theatre into a 19th-century Russian supper club. With the renovation, they added seats to the stage, which is where I got to sit. I had Broadway actors performing on all sides of me. In addition, the performers interacted with me and the other audience members onstage. The actors sat at our table, gave us pierogies, and hand delivered us love letters. It was incredible to witness such a beautiful piece of theatre while being right at the center of the action.

A young woman (the author) sits in a red chair in a lavishly decorated room, holding a playbill that reads "Great Comet"
An interactive stage with pathways leading into the audience seats, decorated in reds and golds.

Jessie Mueller in Waitress

I completely fell in love with Waitress, which is an emotional piece of theatre that is equally charming and funny. I was most moved by Jessie Mueller as Jenna. Jessie Mueller is a unicorn on stage—seriously, she is one of a kind. Her voice has such a rich and unique tone and watching her feels magical because of how present she remains throughout the entire show. Even when she wasn’t speaking, I loved watching her reactions to the other characters onstage. Something about her is so vulnerable and honest. It’s impossible not to root for her. 

Jessica Vosk in Wicked

This is the only show on this list that I saw on its national tour rather than on Broadway. When I saw Jessica Vosk as Elphaba, it was my fifth time seeing Wicked. I was just looking forward to basking in one of my favorite musicals all over again, but as soon as Jessica began singing “The Wizard and I,” I was floored. I got chills throughout my entire body. Every time she sang, I was mesmerized by her. Her voice is stunning, and she pulled off riffs that I’ve never heard any other Elphaba manage to do before. She embodies the definition of a star, and I was not at all surprised that she moved to the Broadway company a year later. 

Hamilton

I’ve already written an entire blog post about this experience, but seeing Hamilton on Broadway changed my life. I saw it at the end of one of the most difficult periods of my life, and it made me feel grateful to be alive. It is unmatched in its originality and the strides it has made for people of color. I’m thankful that we are alive at a time where you can see such boundary-breaking, genius work living and breathing on Broadway. 

Dear Evan Hansen

I first saw Dear Evan Hansen in previews back in 2016, and while I loved it, it wasn’t until I saw the show for a second time in 2018 that it truly made me feel changed. Dear Evan Hansen made me feel validated and heard. I found myself able to connect with it because the show draws on the universal feeling of loneliness, something that everyone has experienced at some point in their life. To me, it perfectly verbalizes the feelings of being an outsider and not fitting in. I sat in the front row and sobbed so hard that the person next to me turned to ask if I was okay. With seeing the show a second time, I also got to pay attention to some more complex details, such as the similarities between Evan and Connor, as well as the universal experiences that link every character in the show to every person in the audience. It is a heartbreaking and healing piece of theatre that I recommend to any person that has a pulse.

Two young ladies (the author, right, and her friend Abby, left) pose in front of a stage while holding up a playbill that reads "Dear Evan Hansen"

Cami and her friend, Abby

Categories
Cami Hancock Uncategorized

The Only Camp of Its Kind

If you’ve been reading my blog this summer, you are well aware of my passion for all things theatre and may have read my post about the lifelong impact that theatre has had on me. I’ve always had a second passion, as well—one that has been present in my life for almost as long and one that influences my life daily: writing. 

Perhaps an unusual choice for most children, I spent my summers growing up attending Author Quest, a kids’ sleepaway writing camp in Ocqueoc, Michigan, owned by Michigan Chillers author Johnathan Rand. I first attended Author Quest in June of 2009 at only 10 years old. I remember being terrified of going to sleepaway camp knowing only a single person, and on top of that, feeling nervous of what other people would think of my writing. While I enjoyed writing, I had never received any sort of praise or encouragement about my writing from anyone other than my parents. My fears were quickly alleviated, however, as I stepped into the lush wilderness of Ocqueoc with 40 other campers who loved to write as much as I did. At that first camp, the staff and instructors at Author Quest took me under their wings and fully embraced me as a writer. They gave me a place where I felt safe to share my writing and deepest inner thoughts with others. They gave me the confidence to take risks with my writing, and to keep going, even when I may feel discouraged.

A picture of the author, Cami, as a ten-year-old child at her first camp session, wearing a red Author Quest shirt.

My first Author Quest in 2009

The effects of Author Quest on my life go far beyond improving my writing. Because of how much the people at Author Quest believed in me at that first camp session and all of the sessions following, they made me believe I can do anything I set my mind to—whether it be becoming a professional writer or pursuing whatever else fulfills my soul. Author Quest was also the first place where I got true leadership experience, first as a counselor-in-training, and now as a counselor. It inspired me to become a better person, and it made me want to lift up the current campers in the same way the staff has lifted me up all these years. In addition, Author Quest has given me some of my most treasured friendships, people that I talk to on a weekly basis and eagerly look forward to reuniting with every summer.

A group of Author Quest camp counselors in red shirt, including Cami, second from the right.

My camp friends

At the end of June, I returned from my 12th Author Quest camp session and my fifth session being a full-fledged counselor. I thoroughly enjoyed spending the week reading and writing for copious amounts of time, catching up with my friends, and listening to the campers read their newly crafted stories around the campfire every night. As a counselor, I’m thankful that I now get to play a small role in the experience of the current campers and give them similar encouragement and care that I received at their age. Each year, I am blown away even more by the talent of the campers who attend Author Quest. At 10, 11, 12, and 13 years old, they are using words I’ve never heard and creating such expertly constructed, inventive stories that I never could have dreamed of in a thousand years. Each camp, Ann Rowland, Author Quest’s camp director, stresses to the campers that they are good writers, not just good writers for their age —which is true and what I believe is a testament to the respect the campers at Author Quest receive. 

There’s a reason I’ve now attended Author Quest for 10 years. I’ve come to realize that the feeling of having someone believe in you is invaluable. The people at Author Quest have remained both positive and encouraging but have always challenged me when I needed it most . Because of Author Quest, I’ve worked diligently to foster my passion for reading and writing throughout my life. Author Quest is the reason I was brave enough to raise my hand in English class throughout school. It’s the reason I feel confident enough to publish my thoughts and writing on two blogs this summer. It’s the reason I want to incorporate writing into my future career, no matter where I end up. I’m grateful that my 10-year-old self somehow ended up at that writing camp in Ocqueoc all those years ago. I guarantee that if I hadn’t received their support, I wouldn’t be the same person or on the same path in life that I am on today.

A group of young people make a pyramid with their bodies, a child perched on top making a thumbs up gesture.
Categories
Grace Koepele

No Limits

The second half of camp in Mogliano-Veneto brought a new wave of post-camp activities, tested limits, and Independence Day traditions—both exciting and slightly terrifying.

My host family began the week with a day-trip to the Dolomites, promising a hike and lots of sheep. I cannot claim to be an avid hiker, but I do enjoy walking, being outdoors, and exercise enough to think of myself as somewhat capable when it comes to these types of excursions. At best, I envisioned a long, steady climb up some mountain in the Alps where I could celebrate the hike with a photo or two of the land below. At worst, I thought we may only climb partway up a hill while my young host brother chased sheep. Neither of these expectations were remotely close to the host parentsʼ actual plans.

The author, a young woman, poses with a young boy in a car.
A beautiful landscape photo of two mountains covered in trees in Italy.

After a lovely lunch in between two mountains, with sheep and cows grazing in the field beside us, my host parents led me to an “adventure park” in the forest next to us, where they cheerfully handed me a wristband to complete the high ropes course that curves between the trees. If my family in the States knows anything about me, it is that I have always had an intense fear of heights. I will not step near the edge of a balcony if it is too high off the ground, let alone climb any sort of tree even part-way. Whether due to an ever-present desire to please or some buried wish to redeem my 11 year-old selfʼs decision to sit out of a class trip to a ropes course some ten years ago, I do not know, but after what felt like two seconds to decide my fate, I followed my host dad inside a small hut to grab a harness and helmet before hooking myself up to a wire and beginning my ascent into the trees.

After my hands stopped shaking violently and the panic attack subsided a little, the course was actually quite fun: there were zip lines, jumping and swinging, and unstable portions, and even a stretch where I had to shimmy sideways across a wire. But, were it not for the photos and videos that my host dad—Massimo—promised to take during this horrific half-hour of playing Indiana Jones, I honestly would not be able to recall much about the first few obstacles.

The author, a young woman, poses with a young boy while both wear climbing gear.

While I was initially petrified of climbing and swinging (and falling) through the course, I am proud of myself for doing it and also glad that I didnʼt back out and have to choose the righteous path of redemption some ten years from now.

After I finished the course, my host mom—Sabrina—coined the phrase that has now become a bit of a mantra for me during this time in Italy: no limits. Obviously, it is healthy to have some limits, but I quite like the idea of pushing myself to really try things that I would otherwise decide are either for other people or for another time in my life.

The author, a young woman, stands in front of two forested mountains in Italy.

Following this mantra, I also ate octopus for the first time in my life—this being significant because I have been a vegetarian for a few years now and am not necessarily grossed out by meat, but I do stand by the fact that I donʼt love to see suction cups on my food when I eat it. Keeping with last weekʼs post-camp tradition of going to a friendʼs pool, I also finally managed to sit (and stay on) their massively cute (and unstable) unicorn floaty!

The author, a young woman, swims in a pool on a giant inflated winged unicorn floaty.

On Wednesday, my coworker Niamh and I took our two groups to Venice for a scavenger hunt full of lions, water wells, tourists, and as many gondolas as we could find (bonus points if the gondolier is in the vicinity of their gondola)! After this long day of interviewing tourists, taking photos, fending off ferocious pigeons, and successfully not having to fish any children out of the canals, both Niamh and I were able to learn and use some Venetian slang and enjoy a well-earned gelato. Nothing takes the cake for tested limits like agreeing to supervise two groups of hangry tweens alone right after youʼve told them that they must create their own pop song about how much they adore English camp before they can buy ice cream. We also agreed to share the bonus points amongst our teams from Niamhʼs human re-enactment of a gondolier with their gondola (my idea and her physical implementation).

On a street in Venice, a young woman lies on the ground pretending to be a gondola while a gondolier stands over her, pretending to paddle.
Three young women in red camp counselor uniforms pose with three young campers in Venice.

To end the week, I celebrated Independence Day with my host family by cooking them dinner, instigating a family spa evening, and simulating fireworks with sparkling candles in toast. 

A person sits on a patio in a folding chair with cucumber slices over their eyes.
A table is set with a striped tablecloth and a blue plate that has three candles pressed into a piece of toast.

All in all, I had an absolutely incredible time working in Mogliano-Veneto. While the camp was gigantic and the campers were many (sometimes too many), my coworkers were an amazing support system for laughs, moral reassurance, and company throughout the two weeks. Seeing as my next camp is a mere 23 kilometers away and still in the Veneto region, I have a feeling I will be returning to Venice soon with my campers for another exciting adventure!

Til then, ciao for now!

Categories
Cami Hancock New York

NYC Part 3: Attending the Tony Awards

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

When you ask someone what their favorite holiday is, you probably expect them to say Christmas, Halloween, or maybe their birthday. Whenever someone has asked me that question over the last five years, I’ve always given another answer: the Tony Awards.

In case you’re not familiar with the Tony Awards, it is basically the Super Bowl for people who care about theatre instead of sports. It’s the one night a year where Broadway actors and professionals are awarded for their achievements. I’ve always made the Tony Awards into a big deal at my house—my family goes all out with voting ballots, decorations, and even baking a cake in honor of the big day. This year was even more special, though, because I got to attend the Tony Awards in person for the first time. 

As usual, the Tony Awards were held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The live telecast didn’t begin until 8 p.m., but they asked the audience to arrive at 5 p.m.. Once I got inside the lobby, I expected to be led straight away to my seat in the mezzanine, but that never happened. The audience was allowed to hang out in the lobby as long as they wanted, which meant that I got to watch the nominees trickle in over the next two hours.

We all had to be in our seats by 7 p.m., and during that hour before the live show, Broadway actors Karen Olivo, Danny Burstein, and Aaron Tveit gave out the special Tony Awards, as well as the non-aired awards, including Best Choreography and Best Scenic Design.

Then at 8 p.m., it was finally time for the live show. I was particularly excited for this year’s host, James Corden, because last time he hosted in 2016, he performed one of my favorite opening numbers of all time. This year his opening number was called, “We Do It Live,” and it did not disappoint. Cast members from all of the Tony-nominated shows joined him onstage during the number, and it was a huge extravaganza. 

My view from my seat.

I was especially compelled by the speeches at the Tony Awards this year. In fact, I think this year’s telecast featured the best collective group of speeches I’ve ever heard. I will admit that I teared up during the speech from Best Featured Actress in a Musical winner Ali Stroker, who happens to be the first actress in a wheelchair to win a Tony. She began her speech by dedicating her award to any kid watching who faces a disability and is looking for themselves to be represented. I also loved the speech from Rachel Chavkin, who won for directing Hadestown. Chavkin is only the fourth woman to ever win that award, and she used her airtime to call out Broadway’s lack of diversity on its creative teams, and therefore the lack of stories that are being told. This is a relevant issue on Broadway and one that I’m extremely passionate about, so I was inspired that she used her platform to address this social issue.  

My favorite part of attending the Tony Awards in person had to be the commercial breaks. I always assumed that they gave out the non-aired Tony Awards during the commercials, but they did all of those before the show started. Instead, James Corden initiated karaoke with different Broadway stars. In one commercial break, Ben Platt and James Corden sang “Tomorrow” from Annie. In another, Anthony Ramos and Chris Jackson sang “96,000” from In the Heights (I just about died hearing Chris Jackson, the original Benny, sing his part). Finally, Billy Porter brought down the house with his complete performance of “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from Gypsy. What was supposed to be simple karaoke turned into a full-on concert. Porter ended up performing his song center stage with a standing ovation from the 6,000 audience members inside Radio City Music Hall.

After the show was over, I waited down in the lobby again, and that’s where I got to meet and take photos with some of the nominees. Some of the nominees I was most excited to meet included David Korins, the scenic designer of Beetlejuice (as well as Hamilton), Eva Noblezada of Hadestown, Jeremy Pope of Choir Boy and Ain’t Too Proud, Sarah Stiles of Tootsie, and newly-awarded Tony winner Sergio Trujillo of Ain’t Too Proud. 

Meeting Sergio Trujillo

Meeting Jeremy Pope

I’m honestly still having trouble believing that I attended the Tony Awards in person. It was literally a dream come true. What has become a tradition of watching on TV from Michigan came to life in front of my eyes in New York City. I value the Tony Awards because it allows a chance for art and theatre to be celebrated. It’s the one night a year where Broadway is televised to a national audience, therefore exposing kids who may never have the chance to see a Broadway show in person to watch performances from their homes. Each year, the Tony Awards inspires a whole new generation of young people to get involved in the arts.

Although the Tony Awards are technically a competition, it didn’t feel that way at all. The environment in that room is so positive and supportive. You can tell that everyone there is just excited to be celebrating another season of theatre and hard work. A major reason I respect Broadway actors so much is because they don’t do their job for fame or money, they do it purely because they love performing and spreading a message through art. Although I do not believe the level of representation or diversity at the Tony Awards is where it should be (I will dive into this at another time), the bottom line is that theatre is an art form that is capable of educating and creating social change. Slowly but surely, Broadway is making strides to do better and be more inclusive. That’s why I’m grateful that this year I got to play a small part in the tradition of cheering on the Tony nominees inside Radio City Music Hall, and I look forward to celebrating Broadway and the Tony Awards for many years to come. 

Categories
Grace Koepele Italy

Hot, Hotter, Hottest

The first half of my second two-week camp with ACLE was one of superlatives.

While my previous camp in Vicenza brought what I thought to be many coworkers, campers, and hot days, this week in Mogliano-Veneto boasted the most. Though the ratio of tutor to camper remained roughly the same, there were 9 tutors (including me) and 92 campers ranging from six to thirteen years old! The sheer energy and volume that each morning circle musters feels as though we may have the whole city singing “Good Morning The Sun Is Up” or “Itʼs Not Hard” along with us in no time.

It became so hot each day at camp that I did not even try to wear the same work shirt twice. Within the first 15 minutes of arriving to the school, I would begin to sweat without even registering that it was hot. Due to this awful heat wave, every day only grew hotter. On Thursday, our camp reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (but apparently felt like 110)!

In an effort to keep everyone hydrated, engaged, and sane, many standing games became sitting games, meditation breaks became our norm, and one tutor even created a “water dance” to encourage the campers to stay hydrated while also teaching them directions (e.g. up, down, right, left, etc).

Despite feeling like I was living in inferno, I was blessed again with an absolutely amazing host family. My host parents, Sabrina and Massimo, are always happy to talk, swap stories, go somewhere, or simply spend time with me and their six-year-old son, Riccardo. Together, we had some of the busiest days yet this summer; every day after camp brought new trips the pool, pilates classes, and a night out in Treviso (a cute nearby town with canals like Venice but not nearly as many tourists, pigeons, or confusing dead-ends).

After a long, hot, and somewhat hectic week, we took a day trip to the beautiful beach-town of Iesolo and quickly forgot about our exhaustion. We swam, tanned, and played a lively game of Bocce Ball—which prompted an important distinction in regards to the new nickname that Massimo has given me: Michigan. We decided that saying “Go Michigan” is not an acceptable form of moral support when we play a family game as it wrongfully supports my collegiate competitors (although we decided saying “Nice try, Michigan” is alright if I lose in a game).

While the past week may have been the hottest, busiest, and most tiresome week Iʼve seen with ACLE so far, I cannot wait to begin the second half of this adventure in Mogliano-Veneto and see what our massive camp accomplishes together next.

‘Til then, ciao for now!