Okay!! So about a month before Intensive Week and departure for Europe, Blue Lake sent around packets to everyone involved in the International program, which included a schedule for Intensive Week and also final packing requirements. Even though the airport's limit for luggage weight is 50 lbs., Blue Lake's limit is 40 lbs per suitcase (also, with dimension limits on the suitcase itself), because we also have to take ALL of the instruments, including percussion and the double basses.
Forty pounds isn't the worst limit to pack to, not at all- even though we'd be gone for a month, you'd be surprised by how many things that you think you'll need that you never actually use. Despite this though, before leaving for Intensive Week, I packed as much as I could and kept to the weight limit as close as I could, and departed for Intensive Week as the proud carrier of (what I thought was) a perfect 40 lbs suitcase. The night before leaving camp for the airport, all the cabins went through their suitcases and made sure they were either at or below the weight limit. If the suitcases were at or below the limit, great!! If it was over, you had no choice- you could either transition some of the things from your suitcase to your carry-on, which was your backpack (everyone had a Blue Lake backpack and had no weight limit), OR you could leave some things behind, like extra uniform shirts or whatever.
Turns out...
We were NOWHERE close to the weight limit. o.o
Our cabin counselor, god bless, had a handheld luggage scale for everyone to weigh their suitcases, and it was during this time we realized (at least among my cabin's campers, as we were all first year IYSOians) that basically, we're all idiots.
Our suitcases all ranged from around 40 pounds to 55 pounds, which inspired a mad dash to make sure everything fit. It got to a point where the poor scale broke, and all the other counselors were either also looking for scales to use for their own cabins or where busy with their scales. After scrambling about, shoving heavy shoes into backpacks and shampoo into smaller bottles, my entire cabin's suitcases were at the weight limit or slightly under. With a final celebratory cheer, we headed to bed, our stomachs knotting with nervous, excited anticipation.
First thing the following morning, we awoke to a stream of boys filing into our unit and piling their suitcases into an empty cabin - their unit was being moved into by main camp campers, so they had to entirely evacuate before the campers arrived. After breakfast and the girls had finished packing, we were able to relax for a while and just hang out with all the IYSOians all morning. During this time, we had: an extremely complex competition of "HOW MANY WAYS CAN WE THROW GOLDFISH AT EACH OTHER BEFORE THE COUNSELORS GET CONCERNED?!?" (the answer- infinite, they were laughing at us pretty much the whole time), an intense ping-pong competition (ended without a winner), and several poker tournaments (it was during intensive week, on a slightly off-note, no pun intended, when I discovered "Blue Lake Strip Poker". NO, WE'RE NOT GETTING NAKED!!! Basically, instead of taking OFF an item of clothing when we lost, we'd instead change one thing about our appearance to make ourselves NCA, or "not camp appropriate". Examples: bottom button unbuttoned, collar popped, shirt untucked, etc).
A few hours later, the families arrived, and everyone sat down to a small lunch. Eventually, the time came. With hugs and smiles and tears, we said our farewells, and after singing "The Lord Bless You and Keep You", we boarded our buses and headed off towards the airport.
Since pretty much Day 1 of Intensive Week, counselors have been orientating all of the students on airport procedure, and FINALLY!! It was going to be put to the test. I was put in a group with my entire cabin and cabin counselor, which was AWESOME because we all knew each other pretty well and we could easily recognize one another, should worse come to worst. In groups of twelve or so and led by a single counselor, students began to make their way through check-in and security, and eventually to the gate. Once everyone was there and accounted for (which took about three hours altogether by the time all the students, counselors, and instruments were able to go through security), we split off into small groups for about 45 minutes before checking back into the groups and then!! WE BOARDED A PLANE TO PARIS, FRANCE!!!
It was an overnight plane, which was fantastic cause we were able to get some sleep (not that we DID, but the intention was there). Morning came way too soon, and, after a small breakfast (they'd also fed us dinner the night before, THANK YOU, AIR-FRANCE, YOU'RE AWESOME!!!) we landed in Paris. Again, after about two hours of crazy insanity and claiming luggage and people dodging, we made it out to the buses in time to meet our bus drivers!! From there, we boarded our buses and set off for our European adventure!!
Until next time!! Over and out. Rinse. Repeat.
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