Wonderland Camp, October 2023 🎃👻

 

I went to Wonderland Camp at the Lake of the Ozarks during the weekend of October 20th. I saw my friends: Mama Cookie, Alyssa, Michael, (my besties 💖) and Heather (she’s a great program coordinator, she’s awesome with campers 💜). I also met some new people: Ruth (she was a sweetheart) and Leigh (she was an interesting person). On Friday night, we had a bonfire and made scrumptious, gooey s’mores. I was also joking with Alyssa and Michael and racing around with Cookie. I think that I was hyped on chocolate and Mountain Dew, lol 😜. Blake (he was a goofball) tried to tell a scary story but it was scary-adjacent. I still played along though. I ran with the other campers towards the “ghostly” door, which was being really opened and closed by Heather. It was silly. It was a fun night!

On Saturday, we had archery first. I used the crossbow and a kind volunteer named Hannah helped me aim it. I hit the target but some arrows bounced off the target. It was funny. 

Then, for crafts, we made paper pumpkins. 🎃 Alyssa found some modified scissors so I could actually cut the paper myself. ✂ A pair of scissors were on a block, Alyssa put the paper between blades, and I pushed down on a big button to cut into the paper. It was cool! After the pumpkins, I doodled for a while. 

We did the zip-line after our craft. I always love zooming across the trees. It gives me such an adrenaline rush and in my imagination, I’m flying like Peter Pan. We then had a rest time for a while. I just read one of my old Halloween Archie comics. I like reading in the corner by the bathroom sink. I don’t know why; I just do (lol 😛). I always make sure that no one is in a stall or the bathroom isn’t gross before I even sit in there but most of the time, that’s my camp reading spot. After rest time, we decorated our trick-or-treat bags. I only drew Slenderman and a witch, and wrote my name on mine. 

We then shot BB guns. I hit the target a couple of times. After BB guns, we climbed the rock wall. Going to the top and looking down at the camp is always awesome. 

Before dinner, we put on our costumes. I wore my Jack Skellington onesie and my comfy black boots. While we ate dinner, we watched Halloween Town then The Nightmare Before Christmas to my absolute delight. After dinner, everybody was ready for the haunted house and trick-or-treating. 

By this time, I was already hyped on candy corn and Mountain Dew (😄😜). Our cabin went to the haunted house first. It wasn’t all that frightening this year but the decorations looked extremely cool and Heather did make me jump in an evil clown mask. 🤡

I’d give them an A for effort. The whole thing was fun and hilarious. Then, we went trick-or-treating around camp. No one is too old for anything at camp and it’s nice to get free candy. After trick-or-treating, we watched Hocus Pocus while we ate some of our candy. It was relaxing. Cookie and I then hung out with Alyssa and Michael for the rest of the night. We talked, snacked, and laughed late into the night. I felt so free and comfortable that night. The night was simple but I had a blast just kicking it with my friends. 

Sunday was a blur. Saying goodbye isn’t my favorite thing. It felt like I just blinked and my parents were there to pick me up but that weekend was the best! I made some more camp memories to look back on with a smile or a giggle. WC will always be my happy place. Until next time…

Oh, Wonderland, I love. 

 Smooches and think Tink.