47 Truly Fantastic Ways You Described Yourselves When Registering For A-Camp 2015

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who let these people in

It’s that time again — the time of year when I gather four cups of those sweet little figs, a gallon of your least favorite brand of coconut water, a modest stack of shredded Whole Foods make-your-own-burrito forms, a lock of Julia Nunes’ hair, a single serving of Bikini zone, a chunk of astroturf from a homoerotic Olympic event, the eggs you froze to make a baby and, from this magical combination of ingredients, I produce your June A-Camp CABIN ASSIGNMENTS! (ETA: within the next 7-10 days.)

This year, as in last year and the year before, I gave you a chance to describe yourself when you registered so that I could try to put you in a cabin with other humans who are exactly as weird or as interested in Game of Thrones or “cuddles” or whiskey as you are. It’s not a perfect process — and this year we’re throwing in another element to the cabin game that’s made it even more challenging — but I think I get it right about 65% of the time. This year will be no exception. I think most of you will have a very good time.

So, here are some sentences from your descriptions of yourselves, ripped mercilessly out of context and placed here, in this list, for our communal entertainment and delight.

1. A-Camp seems like the perfect place for me because my gaydar sucks and I have a lot of feelings.

2. I’m a true Slytherin, I hate Jessie from Toy Story 2, and I’m a pretty big music nerd.

3. Sam Adams is the only boy who will ever touch my heart.

4. I’m a Latina speaker, educator, and budding therapist who wields words and mink jawbone earrings to strike fear into the hearts of oppressive jerks.

5. I can and often do go on tangents about the models of disease causation and the importance of the biopsychosocial model of health.

6. I’m handy with a hammer, if you know what I mean.

7. I enjoy owls, oxfords, ties, and organizing cupboards and closets. I struggle with washing silverware. FORKS ARE HARD.

8. If I were in roller derby my name would be “Little Susi Bonebreaker.”

9. Last year I saw a HANDLE of Tanqueray Gin at Ralph’s and I’m still hoping its a thing they do.

10. I love M-Rod no matter how many stupid things she says. Grace Jones is my Goddess of worship and Faith Lehane is my patron saint.

11. I am a professional hand talker by day, and a queer space alien cult leader on nights and weekends.

12. I’ve seen Clueless at least a thousand times and can quote pretty much the entire movie. I don’t know what that says about me exactly? Maybe that I love the 90s, hanging with my lady posse, and that I would date my stepbrother (ok, definitely not that last part)?

13. I somewhat resemble the old man from Up in both appearance and temperament.

14. I’m a cross between what a nerd thinks a cool kid is and what a cool kid thinks a nerd is.

15. If sassy bunnies could copulate, I would have exploded into life as the gayest unicorn there ever lived!

16.  I once described my hobbies as drinking, going to the cinema, and drinking in the cinema.

17. I like cheese… and Alycea Arline… and sniffing all the candles in Bath and Body Works.

18. I like knitting, baking, indoor/outdoor gardening, reading, writing, yoga-ing, rock climbing and wine-sipping to a soundtrack of Beyoncé, Andrea Gibson, Prokofiev, Bach, and the original cast of Rent.

19. I come with a legitimate belief that my daily expression of science factoids brings enjoyment to the masses.

20. I am a Comanche/Mexican-American psychology phd student who identifies primarily as Ravenclaw, but with a Slytherin secondary.

21. I’m good at creating Sims households inspired by literary families, my The Sound and the Fury family being my magnum opus.

22. Growing up, I was desperately in love with both Jewel Straite circa “Space Cases” and Jennifer Lopez circa “J to tha L-O!: The Remixes.”

23. I have a huge collection of rubber duckies, and they are the only decorative items in my house.

24. I’m the life of the party when I can be bothered to attend.

25. I like scuba diving and spelunking and am 50 feet tall and have tentacles instead of a mouth. Chthonian!

26. I was on the bear team in Yosemite, so if you need help chasing bears away from trashcans, I can actually claim to be a professional at this task.

27. I dislike feet, most straight cis men, and the texture of bananas.

28. I was left in a bassinet outside the Portland feminist bookstore and raised feral by hipsters and drag queens.

29. I am a frustrated Indiana taxpayer.

30. I get separation anxiety when I’m away from my favorite beanie.

31. I do best around people who are really chill but friendly, which is probably why most of my friends are potheads.

32. I spend a lot of time trying to decide whether I’d be in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw.

33. I like big, midwestern feelings.

34. I am a dragon. Or a weirdo. Depends on who you ask.

35. I AM AN AGGRESSIVELY SWEET COCONUT WHO MAKES NO SENSE.

36. I would watch Fringe and wonder how Jasika Nicole’s hair could be so perfect. And then I found out how crafty she is and that solidified my love for her. But also I’m excited to meet the other campers.

37. I was a member for a day of the Stockholm Surrealist Group.

38. I’ve been described as “Peter Pan” by some of my favourite people.

39. I have alternative hair, and it has a mind of its own.

40. On my own I have about a half hour of “meeting strangers” material, suitable for all audiences.

41. The last time I camped in a cabin was at methodist summer camp where a room of cishet girls compared nipples while I bit my hand in the corner and avoided eye contact.

42. I imagine A-Camp like The Last Unicorn; after a long stretch of loneliness, I ditch the straight world and I’m united with my magical unicorn sisterhood in an enchanted land.

43. I’ve played bass guitar since middle school and used to enjoy people’s surprise at hearing a mild-mannered half-Asian girl rock out to funk rock. Then I cut my hair and people don’t seem as surprised :(

44. I think I’m pretty outgoing by British standards but maybe only average by American standards.

45. I usually get nervous meeting new people in settings like this so I do a stupid thing where I pretend like I’m too cool for bonding activities and then people think I’m mean so I don’t make any friends and I’m sad about it. THE GOOD THING IS I PLAN TO BE AS UNCOOL AS POSSIBLE AT A-CAMP BECAUSE ENTHUSIASM IS EXTREMELY UNDERRATED.

46. Riese, I hope you are having a really nice day and are not too stressed out about cabin assignments. I’ve sacrificed a chicken to bring good luck to you in this endeavor. Don’t tell the vegans.

47. I can shove my fist into my mouth. No, I can’t. I don’t know why I said that.

 

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Riese

Riese is the 43-year-old Co-Founder of Autostraddle.com as well as an award-winning writer, video-maker, LGBTQ+ Marketing consultant and aspiring cyber-performance artist who grew up in Michigan, lost her mind in New York and now lives in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in nine books, magazines including Marie Claire and Curve, and all over the web including Nylon, Queerty, Nerve, Bitch, Emily Books and Jezebel. She had a very popular personal blog once upon a time, and then she recapped The L Word, and then she had the idea to make this place, and now here we all are! In 2016, she was nominated for a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Digital Journalism. She's Jewish and has a cute dog named Carol. Follow her on twitter and instagram.

Riese has written 3265 articles for us.

86 Comments

    • Man, for all the hours I’ve spent discussing house sorting with friends, this truly goes above me head.

      *Not sure if I’m not the die-hard Potterhead I thought I was or if I’m just a lazy-ass go-all-the-way-or-die-avada-kedavra’d Gryffindor*

    • This is the nerdiest rabbit hole I’ve ever been down and I don’t think I’m coming back.

  2. hahaha i know who wrote number 41 ;)

    can’t wait to meet all the lovely humans behind these words

  3. Ohmigosh. This makes me even sadder that camp happened to fall over the weekend that I’m getting married! I wish I could be there to meet all you starshines…or alternatively, I wish you were all coming to the wedding.

  4. 32, I thought I was the only one with that preoccupation. Everyone hates on Hufflepuff way too much.

    • As someone who straddles the Hufflepuff/Gryffindor line, the struggle is real. They’re all so great.

    • It breaks Ravenclaw/Slytherin brains how open and trusting Puffs are with all those feels all out in the open and not under layer and layers of control and armor. Provokes 2 responses basic responses in a multitude of shades Embarrassment and Predatory Instinct.
      The hate is a self hating jealousy of how happy y’all seem despite not being armored to the gills.
      And suspicion, but that’s like breathing for Ravenclaw/Slytherin-y types.
      Gryffindors, it’s probably machismo…

  5. Oops I’m pretty sure my description thingie in my camp registration says “will fill this out later”.

    Sorry Riese. I’ll go do that now.

  8. If I did not know for sure that I am not going to ACamp and thus did not fill this out, I would be seriously confused because I’m pretty sure I’ve used the exact same description as #14 before.

    • Yeah… between 14 and 19 I had to double check to make sure I hadn’t subconsciously decided to go and forgot to tell my conscious mind.

    • I’ve also had an I Capture the Castle family where half the members died in a meteor shower ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

  13. I always need to remind myself to be both practical and hilarious when I submit things to Autostraddle!

    I’m always too practical! I actually I put:
    ” Transmasculine Queer Genderqueer. Nerdy, shy, but outgoing. Dance my heart out and am a little rambunctious, but under it all I just go to A-Camp to find a community and support.”

    I ACTUALLY should’ve put:
    “I will literally sob while I writhe on the floor if you play ROBYN and Rihanna”

  15. 21. I’m good at creating Sims households inspired by literary families, my The Sound and the Fury family being my magnum opus.

    Let us be friends! and talk about how brilliant Faulkner is! and whether or not there was ever a more fucked-up family! hahaha

  17. OH MY LORD
    I cannot wait to meet you fellow amazing people!

    #14, I think we’ll get along.
    #6…. I really really REALLY want to know what you mean!

  18. i cannot wait to be amongst all of these amazing humans in one place at one time. i am already overwhelmed, but in the best way.

    i keep reading 21 as making sims of “the sound of music,” and i am curious if they’ve done that, too.

  20. omg. no. 16. never has a more apt description of myself and my hobbies existed.

    I don’t know who you are but you are my new favorite person.

    • That’s me!!! I am definitely not cool enough to be on this list or be anyone’s favourite person but thank you! Are you coming to camp?

  21. #26, I hope you introduce yourself as “professional badass” because it would not be a lie.

  23. Is it bad that when I read #43 I immediately thought of Lane Kim from Gilmore Girls?

  26. Dear #45,
    I asked my friends on Facebook to guess which one was me. They all keep guessing your one even *after* I’ve told them the correct answer. I’m not quite sure what this means, but we should totes hang out.

  27. I’m really pleased that so many people included their Hogwarts houses. So excited to hang out with all of you geeky humans. :)

  28. 9. Last year I saw a HANDLE of Tanqueray Gin at Ralph’s and I’m still hoping its a thing they do.

    This may sound like me, but I promise it’s not me. I’ve been buying my camp gin in handle size since Spring 4.0.

    • Ha, that was me! I was amazed, but figured my litre of gin (and other bottles) would be enough damage. Rookie mistake. I know what to do this year.

  29. “CABIN ASSIGNMENTS! (ETA: within the next 7-10 days.)”

    SHRIEKING AND GRABBING MY FACE

    I have only been checking my inbox constantly lol.

  30. #12 – I had an epiphany watching Clueless on New Year’s Eve. Wherein I realized I had sublimated a crush on Cher for years.

    #42 – YES!

  31. This post just confirms my need to block Autostraddle until around mid-June. I’m still insanely upset that I had to cancel my registration after losing my job in March. :-(

    Also, #13, are you me? I have been compared to that adorable old man on multiple occassions.

  32. I’m not going to camp, but I’m definitely a plus-size Elsa from Frozen. And 50% mermaid. From the waist up, of course.

  34. #17 is my super awesome girlfriend and I can confirm all things written are true.

  35. Oh #4 you enchant my creepy little heart with your accessories and your weapon of choice. Glad I’m not going to A-Camp I’d upset the vegans in the crafting area making companion pieces for such lovely earrings.

    • Ha, I just read this post and am so tickled to have been featured. #4 was me, and I’m so glad to e-meet other creepsters. I got the earrrings at a place called Necromance in LA a few years ago :) SO GOOD. Initially wanted like…a penis bone set or something, but those looked too plain, and the jawbones were badass.

      If we’re both there next year, let’s connect!

  36. 19. I want to immediately form a girl gang with the following commenters:

    “I come with a legitimate belief that my daily expression of science factoids brings enjoyment to the masses.”

    and

    32. I spend a lot of time trying to decide whether I’d be in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw.

    They get me!

  37. I think I forgot to fill this out! Is there still time? If not I totally understand, I spent all day at work yelling in my head at people about why they cannot meet a simple deadline goddammit!

  40. 21!!! Okay, so I’ve never played Sims, but I love Faulker and the way he just hits you with that prose just wow. More details on how you did that? That’s a fun and quirky hobby that is.

  41. I LOLed at #41 and read it to my wife who was somewhat amused. Then I said, “I went to lots of camps growing up, and never have I heard about/seen/participated in nipple comparisons.”
    My wife replied with, “I never went to camp, but I went campING once with my best friends’ family. A bunch of them had blue popsicles at the campground pool and the next day their nipples were blue!”
    I really want to eat a LOT of blue popsicles now.

  42. As if I needed MORE proof of how awesome A-campers are!

    I can’t wait to meet some of these people and see the rest of them again!

  43. “The last time I camped in a cabin was at methodist summer camp where a room of cishet girls compared nipples while I bit my hand in the corner and avoided eye contact.”

    That feeling.

  44. This is darling and beautiful and perfect and precious.

    Also, #7…how you doin’?

  45. Not only does #43 place bass, but they are FREAKING AMAZING at it, it’s probably the sexiest thing in existence.

    ((She’s my girlfriend so I might be biased though))

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