Welcome to the second of four fantastic recaps of our entire experience at the First-Ever A-Camp, which took place two hours outside of Los Angeles at Alpine Meadows in Angelus Oaks, California, from April 26th-29th.
The idea was to take the spirit of the website into three glorious dimensions while simultaneously creating an affordable option for queer ladies for whom other lesbian events (such as Dinah Shore) aren’t a good fit. So, we rented out a summer camp in its off-season and enjoyed a transformative weekend of fun, friendship, panels, workshops, classes, sports, entertainment, events and so forth.
These epically long monster-posts will do their best to explain and extrapolate upon the camp experience, from shitstorms to emotional revelations to glory/triumph.
Yesterday we got stranded on the side of the road and today we cast our eyes upon Friday, April 27th — our first full day of camp!
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Friday April 27th
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I. Morning Has Broken
yay morning (photo by kate hinchey)
Marni, Camp Co-Director: I woke up before breakfast and headed up to Wolf Lodge to start getting materials and things together for the morning’s workshops, only to find Robin – who had been up since 7 – just finishing up putting colored signs on the outside of the meeting spaces. She greeted me with a bright and cheerful “Good morning!!” as she taped up a sign-up sheet for flower pressing. In her captain’s hat. Love that girl.
Carly, Videographer: I was rested and ready to get going when I woke up on Friday morning. Which was good, because I was going to need that extra energy to get me through what would wind up being the drunkest night of my life.
Lizz, Rubyfruit Counselor: Breakfast Friday morning was my first real chance to see everyone at camp. I was blown away by how many campers actually knew who I was! I assumed I’d just be Autostraddle Writer #5158 to them, but a lot of people said they liked my writing. Even though I’ve been with Autostraddle for over a year, up until then I’m not sure I’d really considered myself a writer before. I was wicked flattered — a lot of campers said they’d bought blazers because I told them to. I suggested they buy a second blazer.
Carmen, Sharks Counselor: I made a joke about how I enjoy serving others because I’m half Hispanic. I was then named Hopper for the morning and saw way too many eggs.
via text:
Laneia – Marni it’s Laneia. Everyone in my cabin is still asleep. Wtf time is breakfast.
Marni – Now, almost over.
Laneia, Executive Editor: We caught the final three minutes of breakfast, which was just enough time to grab coffee and eat some cereal from a paper cup before being shuffled off to morning activities. This was the first time I was late to a scheduled meal, but sadly it wouldn’t be the last.
Also I was wholly unprepared for how little time I would have between activities to prepare for the next one. Just like, totally and completely unprepared. In every way.
Riese, Editor-in-Chief: I woke up after three hours of sleep — and a relatively uncalled-for mental breakdown about Tinkerbell — feeling like a million bucks to the head, got a cup o’cheerios (breakfast of semi-champions) and huddled with Rachel to plan the writing workshop.
Carly: My primary purpose at camp was to shoot a documentary along with Sarah Croce and superstar director of photography, Lauren Aadland. I’d never shot a documentary before and I was also learning how to use Robin’s fancy DSLR while up on the mountain, so it was a bit of a crap shoot. An exciting crap shoot. We used our time at breakfast divvying up the day’s schedule of events and trying to make sure we covered as much as possible.
Lizz: I think it was just after breakfast, we all came back to the cabin and rocked out to “Call Me Maybe.” It was pretty real– we kind of went theme song style with it. I love that all weekendlong when I would go back to Rubyfruit there would just be awesome queer women hanging around doing whatever. It was so surreal. Queer women blow drying their hair, queer women reading, queer women gossiping, queer women writing in journals. It ruled.
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The Tinkerbell Saga, Continued:
Background: As detailed yesterday, amid the stress of departing for camp and last-minute transportation issues, Riese accidentally left Tinkerbell in their hotel room. Tinkerbell is Riese’s life-long canine companion who got born in Miami in January 2008 and has been with us ever since. She used to be a purse, has been in many vlogs, and sometimes writes for Autostraddle.
Marni: Because Riese had been so distraught about Whitney and her stranded passengers the night before, I didn’t tell her at the time that at the exact moment she had learned about the stranded car, I had received a text from Vega telling me that Jess S had tried to retrieve Tinkerbell from the hotel in LA, but when she got to the front desk they told her that not only did they not have Tinkerbell, they had no record of ever having her.
Jess had campers to pick up and had to leave empty-handed, and I spent the next hour playing phone tag with the hotel’s housekeeping, security, and front desk, each one bouncing me to the next. Despite the fact that the hotel had initially returned my call to confirm that they had found her, the night shift folks didn’t seem to have been kept in the loop and kept trying to transfer me to a housekeeping department that was clearly done for the day. Finally they told me someone would call me the next day. Needless to say, this was not welcome news when I confessed it to Riese later on that night. Tinkerbell had been really excited about camp.
Not trusting them to follow-up, I got back on the horn Friday morning, explaining to a new shift of people that this was a very important item and to call me immediately as soon as they could confirm that they had her. Tensions were high.
Friday Block A:
Morning Hike w/Sarah Croce
Yoga w/Lizz and Jess R
Sewing Circle w/Laneia & Carolyn
Photography Demo/Shootout w/Robin & Sara Medd
Writing Workshop w/Riese & Rachel
Activism Workshop w/Carmen & Katrina & Alice & camper
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Friday Block B:
Basketball w/Brittani
Flower-Pressing w/Carmen
Gender Panel w/Whitney, Marni, Annika, Sara Medd, Laura, Alex, Jess S, Gabby & Katrina
Meet & Geek w/Taylor, Bren & Lizz
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II. Thank Goddess It’s Friday
campers enjoying a Morning Hike
Lizz: Only a couple of people showed up for morning yoga. That was sort of okay though, because we found ourselves a nice little corner to nestle in to. Beth (Retreat Center Director), came over and told us we could use the space indefinitely if we planned on doing yoga for the entire day. We lasted about 45 minutes, but I appreciated that she thought we might yoga all day.
Stef, Wolfpack Counselor: During Croce’s morning hike, some of the more outdoorsy campers were making fun of the urban, east coast campers for being really excited every time we found a lizard. WE FOUND SO MANY LIZARDS. Everything looked like a beer commercial. I don’t go outside much.
Carly: Lauren went on the hike with Sarah and I stayed at camp and got footage of basically everything else that was going on: the sewing circle, writing workshop, photography demo, and the activism panel. Gabby was also grabbing footage, so I was very excited that Friday was off to an excellent start.
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“[I loved the] Photo workshop. Robin was a wealth of information and very professional, and also really sweet and supportive.”
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Laneia: What was originally named ‘BYOB Sewing Circle’ had officially morphed into the Embroidery Square (because we were sitting in a square, of course) and was no longer BYOB (because even I can’t drink that early). I was nervous no one would show up, but that was silly because a bunch of people showed up! Everyone was so bright and excited to meet each other! We sat on benches made from split tree trunks and helped each other thread needles and make knots, with the most ridiculously gorgeous view that I’ve ever had the pleasure of being perched in front of.
Also there was Becca!
(photo by gabby rivera)
Carolyn, Sharks Counselor: Laneia and I ended up co-opting the brains/fingers of a camper with vast embroidery knowledge — and the samples to prove it — Becca. It was really lucky she showed up and was awesome about teaching everyone.
Marni: I was on a mission to hang the pigeonholes on the wall outside Wolf Lodge, with the assistance of fellow industrious Canadian Emily Choo. Emily was pretty set on some kind of “suspension” method using string and a pipe that ran along the upper part of the wall. I was unconvinced, and decided instead to experiment with broken sticks taped to the wall as tiny support ledges for each box, supplemented by tape along the top. Finally I gave up and just started taping the suckers directly to the wall, which worked great. I had three boxes up before Emily – still in deep concentration with her string – finally conceded defeat. If we’d had duct tape then no discussion would have been required.
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Marni hanging the pigeonholes (photo by Gabby rivera)
Carmen: I blew up a beach ball for twenty minutes as we waited for The Activism Panel to actually start (mostly because I’ve never shown up early for something in my life and had no idea what the hell to do with myself). Once words started happening, though, it became clear that our “planning this by saying the word ‘feelings’ to each other via email” strategy had panned out.
the activism workshop (photo by gaby rivera)
Katrina, Cherry Bomb Counselor: We were so unprepared for this panel that it was more or less comical. That being said, I was really excited about how it went. I hope everyone takes up Katie’s challenge to go to three meetings/demos/protests. I think they’ll find what they’re looking for.
Riese: For the Writing Workshop, Rachel and I tossed around prompt ideas but then were like, “well, anybody could give out writing prompts” and then my surrogate daughter Emily Choo suggested we do it in the style of a “master class.” I haven’t been a master of anything since my Dungeons & Dragons days, so this was very appealing. We made a game-time decision to ask the workshop what they’d prefer, and they were down to just open it up to questions about How to Be a Writer — how/where to submit your work, how to get started, the benefits/drawbacks of MFA programs, getting a web-based writing job, etc.
Rachel, Littlefoot Counselor: I still feel like I maybe don’t have enough of a “real writing career” to say anything intelligent about it, but then we did this workshop and it felt really good! It was really exciting to see so many awesome, smart, self-possessed queer women who are writing and who want to make a living at it.
Writing Workshop this is the part where i recruited taylor to talk about her career experience as a writer
Riese: The weirdest part of the ‘workshop’ was realizing I am an expert on a thing. Taylor wandered through at some point, and as one of our most spectacular success stories I invited her to share tips too (Taylor and I met at a Halloween party Carly threw in late 2009, and we talked about the site a bit and that I was looking for a tech writer — she emailed me later that week and said she wanted to write for us and linked me to her tumblr, which’s the only place she’d published anything online. She had the voice and I knew she’d be a perfect fit so one thing led to another and Taylor launched our Tech blog and because of that experience realized that she wanted to be a professional writer! Now she works for Tecca and ReadWriteWeb as well as AS).
Also there was another me inside my body who was just looking at everybody in the circle and smiling.
Lizz: I walked in on the writing workshop just after it had finished and was instantly jealous of all the girls who got to gather around Riese and Rachel and soak up their wordiness.
Laneia: After the first block of activities, I had to get the supplies lined up for the next crafting workshop, which happened to be Flower Pressing with Carmen. I’d kept six bouquets (of the finest flowers my local Trader Joe’s had to offer) alive for over three whole days so these lovely campers could press them, and I was pretty excited about that. The point is, this was when I realized that a) whatever ‘organizational readiness’ plan I’d naively thought I’d created was definitely not going to work and b) there was little I could do about it now.
photo by robin roemer
Carmen: The best team-building exercise of all time is having a room full of queer women lift heavy stones to place on top of heavy books to turn flowers into flattened beautiful things. I was made to look a fool by pretty much every single person in the workshop, all of whom possessed better book-making intuition than I.
Brandy, “The Talent”: Julie and I slept through breakfast and woke up with pounding headaches courtesy of the vicious cocktail we like to call “Kettle/soda with a splash of altitude.” We stood around outside our cabin eating Snap Crisps and drinking Bloody Marys while we waited for the lunch bell to ring. This was our first view of the campsite during the day and it was fegging gorgeous!
brandy and robin (photo by ashley reed)
Katrina: The Alternative Lifestyle Barbershop was my favorite thing. We turned it into a real queer barbershop with a bunch of homos sitting around, sewing, drinking, talking, laughing, loving, and breathing.
katrina cuts mareika's hair (photo by Vanessa Friedman)
Lizz: I’m pretty sure Katrina changed lives.
Katrina: I’m still so grateful to everyone who trusted my amateur hands, especially those who engaged in undercut fun and general short hair transformation. Everyone looked super great, and I hope lots of women are touching your hair right now.
(photo by vanessa friedman)
Rachel: Okay, the only way in which I was involved in this workshop was getting a haircut from Katrina, but it was awesome and it looks really cute! Thank you Katrina!
Katrina: Were there no Shane jokes because everyone knows that shit is tacky, or because I wasn’t wearing enough eyeliner? I can step it up next time you guys.
Crystal: My body will still struggling with the time difference and so after everyone finished breakfast I went back to the cabin for a power nap and slept through the first half-hour of the basketball game that I think I was supposed to be helping Brittani with. It was fine though, ’cause she had that game on lock. Some very athletic looking campers and staff were tearing up the court and although I came fully prepared to join in, my body thought it was 3am and I just sat on the bleachers and watched. If you missed out on seeing Hannah Hart playing basketball then you missed out.
Carly: Robin volunteered to get footage of the rest of Block B so that Lauren and I could go play Basketball with Brittani, some campers, and a barefoot Hannah Hart.
basketball (photo by robin roemer)
Brittani, Hotel California Counselor: The basketball court was in the ideal location. Situated next to a drop off that led into the woods, watching the ball go careening into the grass turned a normal game into jungle basketball which sounds more badass and is better for your heart.
Carly: I haven’t played basketball in over two years — when my “career” was derailed by a sprained ankle — and I also haven’t done any sort of “physical” “exercise” in well over a year, so this was ill-advised at best.
hannah officiates the basketball game
Brittani: We gathered enough campers to get a full court game going and even though a couple of people claimed not to be that good, everyone was getting buckets. Angeline even had the foresight to bring her super nice ball to camp so we looked like pros. The best part was that people came just to watch us but we were all super shy and meek so no one tried to show off for the hot ladies in the stands at all.
Carly: I somehow managed to injure several toes during the game.
Next: The glory of the gender panel and so much more!
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camp feelings
so many. too many. it hurts a little bit.
when i wrote this, my main camp feeling was that i couldn’t read about camp because i was somewhere and also part of conversations where it would be totes rude to be reading this recap on my phone… but now, reading this, i’m having EXPONENTIALLY MORE camp feelings.
the gender panel gave me a lot to think (/journal) about, esp. about my femme-ish identity and where that came from and how it’s changed and all this other stuff, where before i was absorbing messages that translated to “femme, whatever, it doesn’t matter and no one cares.” also I went through a (intense) stage as a child where I told everyone I was a boy because… i have no idea really but it was nice to be reminded of that in this context and to think more about it and to not feel alone in that.
via lesbian jeopardy i felt embarrassed about how many answers i knew and very happy i didn’t sign up.
via candid photographs i feel very aware of how much hair i have.
at formspring live the notebook reached me, after getting to almost everyone before me and it had nothing in it and i felt compelled to write down a halfhearted question (MY FRIENDS ARE BAD FEMINISTS) and watched the notebook go further down the line and i was happy that people were less intimidated by an almost blank page than a completely blank page. psychology is weird. i wish i had asked a better question. i didn’t have one ready. i’ve only seen one episode of the real l word, which was the first one. (i applied for the current season while drunk and got emailed back and it was so weird like “send us pictures of your hottest friends” and stuff but they were funny sober because i felt validated in thinking that bullshit is bullshit.)
i love all of you and i miss you all a lot. i miss the mountain and the sound of drunk stumbling and queer conversations.
this is so long. i’m drunk and i probably should’ve just journaled this.
via candid photographs where I’m sitting next to you I feel very aware of how I was a giant mass of black clothing.
seeing laneia really worried for everyone on stage friday night was one of the most adorable things ever.
If
We are all made of kittens
Then
Saturday’s campfire is best described by this tasteful kitty postcard
hahahahhahahahah ohmygod i’m so high.
that post is about saturday.
this is the friday post.
:(
HA Abbey. Just wait til Saturday… white girl wasted!
awww, these recaps are going to be printed out and taped to my fridge so that whenever I reach for carrot sticks/alchol I can feel like I’m back in the cafeteria with you guys again.
Brian warned me not to use the computer…
tell brian to stop it.
hey lizz, i want to let you in on a thing katrina and i found out about, it’s called owl lodge, it has a bathroom and it’s right fucking next to the fire pit. there were no 9-year-old boys in there.
that bathroom was occupied… a lot.
#OccupyBathroom #ThisIsAShitIn
What?!?!?
I love reading this.
That camper who does pole dancing is Launa – look! video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-oxe4r9Dqg
(no pole dancing though)
I feel this is a safe space to confess my biggest fear RE:Camp was that I wouldn’t call Laneia by her real name. Not because I can’t pronounce Laneia, but because in everyday, regular life I don’t use her real name when I talk about her to people. By “people” I mean my cats.
Friday was the day that fear was realized.
b, you are hilarious
Like, it just feels so good to re-experience it, you know?
I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT PICTURE WENT ON THE SITE
i don’t know what picture you’re talking about but i bet it was awesome ’cause i put all the pictures into this post so it must be really rad
RT
My headlamp got a shout out! Fun fact: I asked Rachel before camp if she wanted me to bring a headlamp for her. She said something along the lines of “no, headlamps are dumb, you are a weirdo,” but then guess who had it all weekend long. Ye of little headlamp faith!
OMIGOD YOU WERE AT SPEED-DATING WEREN’T YOU???
Sorry. I’m still having intense regrets for not tracking you down and hanging out with you forever.
Nope, I was over at Wolf for Jeopardy during speed-dating. I’m really bummed about not hanging out with you, too!
One of the most important things I learned from camp it was that it’s practically a rule that one in three lesbians owns a headlamp. I freaked out the first night when I realized I’d forgotten my flashlight, but never once had to wander in the dark thanks to the plethora of queer, headlamp-wearing ladies at camp.
that’s not true! i think i said something like “well, i guess it’s true that i don’t have a headlamp.” although i will admit that i kept the headlamp with me all weekend in my pocket, so one of us was more right than the other.
also i forgot to mention that when we cabin bombed operation v.a.g.i.n.a. (very attractive girls in nice attire) was the best thing i’ve ever heard. i had also had a lot to drink at that point, so this memory did not come back until reading this just now.
Thanks for recognizing our creativity. We were quite proud of our acronym. :)
i love these recaps/i miss camp
Are there transcripts/videos of the gender panel?! I wish I could have been there more than anything else at camp.
I was thinking the same thing! I wanna hear all the amazing things that were said! Especially by Marni!
One camper (I remember you I’m just not naming names) talked about having to wear a dress at a wedding, and we commiserated about how it felt like being in drag, and I said that this past summer my brother got married and I was one of his groomsmen, and I got fitted for a tux just like my other brother and the best man, and we all took photos together and stood together on my brother’s side and it felt like finally, actually, my family really did get me and maybe I hadn’t given them enough credit. And while it might not necessarily happen that way for everyone, it might be possible that with a little time, our families could prove themselves to know us better than we think. That was one thing.
My mom also made me wear a dress for my brother’s wedding in March, I felt so uncomfortable the whole time. I wish I could have stood up to her.
Marni is good with shelves.
On a more serious note Marni did give a rather interesting anecdote about how she could never get really far in conversation with customers who just NEEDED to know her gender before getting help with home supplies, y’know? And there was a thing (either from Marni or Whitney, pretty sure it was Marni) about how sometimes “mistaken” misgendering is really just gender policing, which I really really empathised with because people will pointedly call me “sir” at home regardless of how feminine I dress because of my hair & how I walk/talk.
I want to see video of formspring Friday live! I missed it because I was hanging out in the queer barbershop.
I still remember you proudly setting off for your lesbian haircut, and even more proudly returning.
it was such an event! I never got a post-haircut picture though/
I’m pretty sure that what Liz might have interpreted as looks of boredom, while she told us about her research, were actually just the faces of everyone realizing they were intimidated by how smart she is/awesome her job is. At least that explains me.
Lesbian Jeopardy was super fun and made me realize I need to read more.
I also loved Forumspring Friday! Everyone admitting they don’t watch TRLW and just read Reise’s Recaps was one of the funniest moments of camp!
Also, reading this post taught me that every woman that writes poetry is also super pretty.
I’m totally going to agree with the intimidation thing there…
Lizz you’re AWESOME!
Lizz is amazing because she works with robots! ROBOTS, you guys, ROBOTS!!!
Also, I wish I was DNA helicase so I could unzip Lizz’s genes :)
I like when you talk nerdy to (uh not) me.
lizz is amazing cuz Lizz Is In Charge.
RIGHT? Was it you that I was whispering to during her talk about how Lizz had just become my new hero/biggest crush?
haha yep.
Very Impressed Liz! I also can’t wait to bro out with my coworkers when i finally decide to get an engineering job.
I definitely heard from like 5 different people how totally fucking impressive Lizz was so I know for sure no one was bored.
Oh you guys! My job just sounds impressive since it involves both robots and lasers. In reality all work is work.
LIZZ LET’S TALK ABOUT SCIENCE.
I’m not even joking, your biology explanation sounds like it was awesome. My life is science.
(I work on nitty gritty molecular biology in TB, if anyone cares/wonders).
I’m really impressed with how fast you guys are getting these recaps out. I’ve been trying to write my own recap (of just Saturday) and it’s been two weeks and I’ve still only got about half of the things. There are so many things you guys.
What happened at Hannah Hart: Intimate and Interactive? Or did the staff all skip that?
That was at the campfire – it was really just her hanging out.
There’s a picture of me, Harto and maybe 1/4th of my cabin out there somewhere.
Right here! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3671344937985&set=a.2860552548682.2156171.1105735869&type=3&theater
oh hey it is on the internet. I don’t know how The Facebook works so there’s probably a lot of photos I haven’t seen. That’s what you kids call it right? The Facebook?
(says someone who is not yet 21)
It was mostly her offering to sign boobs and posing for pictures.
Ooooh camp looks like it was so much fun. Hopefully I can make it to the next one, because this post is giving me envious feelings!
It seems relevant to note: I have no recollection of Friday night. I’m certain I had fun though…Right?
I suspect you don’t remember Friday night because it was preceded by the Friday Afternoon Golden Girls Drinking/Talking Extravaganza.
Someone should recap that! All I know is I came back from Lesbian Jeopardy and all these women who didn’t know each other 24 hours before were laughing like they were old friends.
That’s because some of us started drinking before Lesbian Jeopardy to overcome our social anxiety. And obvs it worked!
How can you re-cap what you don’t remember?
(And thus my cover story is set.)
In all seriousness, however, I think the fair amount of info I know about each of you is/ was the re-cap. It verged on the profound in there at points.
Incidentally, I’m reminded of my first drink before lesbian jeopardy – a “double” that touched the rim of my steel thermos cup, and so was probably slightly more than that, in actual measurement. Is that when we first started cutting into the limes I brought with tweezers?
That was totally one of my favourite parts of camp :) Oh, and our drinking game too, of course! So many feelings!
Bren siting in her bunk texting away about us..And yes..We became fast friends through liquid assistance!
TEXTING WHO AND TEXTING WHAT?
This was the best weekend ever, I miss you all so much it hurts!
Is that you, Heidi?
yep :)
Aw, Heidi!
(Anne)
Anne!!!
Agreed..Miss my Cougars! That afternoon just chilling and chatting with you all..That was truly my fav part of Camp. That and the double high-five Sat night from Heidi!
See, neither do I, but sadly I think it was because I crashed in my sleeping bag 394820934 hours earlier than everyone else and not because I was wasted.
You guys I’ve just returned home after 6 months away, and by home i mean moved back in with my entire family. Its really overwhelming so i retreated to my room to read about camp and deal with my feelings. My sister came to find me and accidentally made fun of my You Do You tote. It made me cry. I JUST WANT TO GO BACK!
It is so good to relive Camp, these recaps are fantastic!
But I after they are over I honestly need to forget about Camp for a while so that I can not fail my class on research methodologies, okay?
There is a vid of the last half of the wall dancing lesson and another friemd said she has one, but it hasn’t been posted. I havr a vid of the convo that led to the lesson, though. One day I’ll make a tribute video and use it yo get a job leading an exoyic dance workshop at the next A-Camp. I never thpught I’d get to share that part of my life at A-Camp let alone a staff member!
Also, I wanted to note that not only did you not bore me, Lizz, your talk about your work *fascinated* me. I remember saying after I left that you were so much cooler than I thought, and I already thought you were pretty darn cool. Anyone who can work math, genetics and fashion is super cool to me.
Sorry for the spelling. I’m writing on my phone and it doesn’t like the comment box/doesn’t let me see what I’m writing most of the time. My fingers weren’t made for touchscreen keyboards. This leads to atrocious spelling problems.
Grrrrl. I have that video and it should materialize in your inbox shortly. Sorry for the delay!
These recaps are making me feel feelings and I wasn’t even there. I guess this means I have to overcome my real-life anxiety before September, and also start commenting more.
Hi there, I think you stole my comment. I was going to say the same exact thing.
I didn’t overcome my real-life anxiety before April and I was mostly okay. You will be okay.
dude i have whole oceans of anxiety
and at camp a lot of my standard anxieties went away
and although they were replaced by other anxieties
they were more manageable,
like cute, miniature anxieties
i was okay so
i think you’ll be okay
i like your cat gravatar
oh man you guys are nice. alex! I’m digging your bandana.
Aw, thanks! Your cat wins the cute award though. ;)
my anxiety went from 100 to 0 in 6 seconds at alpine meadows
Anxiety can’t exhist at that altitude. Go. Do. You won’t regret it. Any of it.
in case you’re wondering, the staff favorite line of the recap is “seeing Julie’s flushed cheeks and thinking she was the funniest cutest girl in the world”
definitely my favorite part, wins all the things, etc.
<3
I got doubly mentioned in the recap by Laneia and Carolyn. I am full of warm fuzzies! Now I’m going to go back up and read the rest.
Ohhhh, this sounds exactly as totally great as I definitely thought it would be. I am so happy for you all! Again, though: I am so sad about the Atlantic Ocean, and that I am not a pilot. But also, I really think I could come next time and am already getting actual panicky adrenaline rushes about how all the places will surely sell out in five seconds…
I’m loving these recaps, it’s great finding out about all the sessions i didn’t go to. There was just so much awesome stuff going on at once it was hard to decide.
It’s weird, in some ways now that i’m home camp doesn’t seem real. Like it was so amazing a thing it feels like a dream. So i’m enjoying re-living camp through the recaps and hearing about other peoples experiences as well.
I was trying to explain A-Camp to one of my coworkers and tried to summarize the blocks, so I started saying “it was awesome, everyone had a choice each block: you could just hang out, or go do something sporty, or something crafty, or even maybe something scary…” and then I made this connection in my head, opened my eyes wide and blurted “OH I KNOW! Each block was like the Spice Girls.”
Not the most accurate analogy, BUT, I wish I had thought of it at Camp. Seriously, everyone was so welcoming, and open, and awesome. Plus, there’s something really pretty and shiny about a queer woman’s laugh.
Thank you for the recaps, Autostraddle! Can’t wait for the next two. So ready to go conquer the weekend now!
OH GOD IF WE HAD THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT ALEX ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION
SAME. YES.
GOD CAMP IS SO FULL OF BABES.
AND FEELINGS.
i can’t wait to go back. my heart explodes every time i read these recaps and remember a thing.
I’m pretty sure Friday of A-camp was my favorite day of my whole life. Don’t mind me, I’m just going to sit here and read this over and over again.
katie i hope it doesn’t get old as i keep telling you how much i love you
i just love you so much
AW LOOK AT US IN THAT LAST PICTURE! // i have no recollection of that picture being taken.
I’m pretty sure that cabin bomb “get out!” story was troubletones… cause it sounds really familiar. Was that us you guys?
OH GOD WHO WAS IN THE BATHROOM???
I’m giving you the side-eyes. You know why.
Yeah, that was our cabin, but I don’t remember who was in the bathroom.
I think so too and I’m pretty sure I know who was in the bathroom. It was a misunderstanding though — the person thought it was people pranking us (due to an earlier threat/situation) and she was defending the honor of the Troubletones cabin, not trying to yell at staff members.
Also, I just realized that my comment sounds a lot like an “asking for a friend” situation, but it actually wasn’t me in the bathroom!
Yeah, Carrie is right. It was a misunderstanding and a defense of honor thing and now one of the more embarrassing moments of my life. So, thanks for that. Seriously, when a group of people bust into one’s cabin just after one has gotten out of the shower (a totally solo, innocent shower) of course one will yell loudly at said intruders. So much for winning at camp. Love, Ranger
You’re the best, Ranger! Had it been actual prankers, I would trust you in a heartbeat to defend us! :)
did anyone meet a new gf? details
I have so many feelings regarding this. All of this. It’s so nice to know what happened in the other blocks because TOO MANY AWESOME THINGS WERE OFFERED AT ONCE.
The Gender Panel was my favourite thing as well, and I was really surprised/interested in Laura and Jess’s stories about when they realized they were homos that they started changing the way they dressed. I had the complete opposite effect: when I (should have) realized I liked girls, my mind rebelled so I wouldn’t have to dress more masculinely, so to validate my femininity I managed to convince myself that I liked guys. The ploy worked for about 10 years, and Camp was really the first time I’d been out as a full-fledged lesbian/gaymo/homo, so, this gender panel really hit home for me in a lot of unexpected ways.
Also: Riese, the fact that you played D&D makes me want to cry rivers of joy. I want to know what your characters were!!! What edition did you play? Were you ever DM?? Omigod you’d be amazing as a DM.
I agree. Though I never somehow managed to get into board game D&D (probably because I didn’t feel like I knew anybody who was enough of a geek to want to do this/not judge me *forever* for it) but I still enjoyed a few single player gamebook things and playing D&D-esque RPG computer games (Baldur’s Gate anyone?). And all the while I picked strong warrior-type and/or male characters for myself, which definitely helped me to inhabit and explore some of my genderqueer-ness and feelings about wanting to be/already being strong and powerful and being fully understood and respected as such by others too…
No-one, including me, was asking whether I was strong enough to slay the dragon hiding in the mountains, or suggesting that someone else did it- and that meant something to a girl who was fairly petite and nice and ‘adorkable’ in the ‘real world’.
Plus a busy imagination meant that said battle was fricking awesome.
But anyways. Thanks for mentioning D&D Riese, and adding to the huge list of interests that I’ve felt relatively alone in having until AS has completely blown that theory out of the water.
Ahhhhhhh Baldur’s Gate, oh god, let me love you forever.
Huzzah. I am not alone!
But seriously though. BGII especially. What a game. I also like that one of the loading screens reminded you that you, unlike your characters, were a real person and needed to eat sometimes. Hah.
Hahaha, the Wizards of the Coast pop can? Oh man, I’m getting so nostalgic thinking about playing that game… <3
Pop can? I am confused by this segment of the sentence.. please enlighten me. :)
And yes. I miss Minsc and Boo. I also had a hilarious moment lately talking to a friend about BG.. we were mentioning crushes on fictional characters and I let slip that I had a vague thing for Imoen… after which she reminded me that Imoen was my character’s sister.
Awkward.
My younger brother was actually the one who was super into Dungeons & Dragons, so I got into it vis a vis him because I’d always be Dungeon Master for him and his friends. Or it’s possible I cajoled him into having lots of people over to play D&D so I could be DM. I REALLY LIKED BEING DM. Also sometimes my brother and I would play at home just with each other. I kept it on the DL, I remember, b/c at my middle school it was all the dorky boys who played D&D and it was such a boy’s club to begin with. I regret that in retrospect.
I was actively attempting to find anyone in the entire universe willing to play GURPS with me (I don’t know if this still exists, but it’s like an insanely complicated RPG that I imagine seems outdated now that computer games exist) but I don’t think I ever succeeded in that!
Riese, for next camp, I will bring a GURP for us to play. I’m sure my friends have a copy of the rulebooks for Bunnies & Barrows…
Before I read this recap I have to say this. I’m somewhat of a new reader/lurker (only a few months) but AS has quickly become one of my favorites on Google Reader. And even though I’m literally on the opposite side of the globe from most of you (Israel), I just had to share that I absolutely love the sense of community and love and awesomeness you guys have here. After reading the previous recap, I seriously lied awake in bed for a couple of hours just thinking about how great that whole “camp will be out thing” bit actually came true! Really, this is kinda magical.
i’m really surprised but mostly happy the shark dick incident didn’t make the recap
shark dick is now one hundred percent part of my daily vocabulary.
Gabby’s hair is giving all the life. ALL THE LIFE!!!!
Hey remember when I fell over in my chair during speed dating next to the girl I was crushing on? And then Hannah Hart called me out? That was fun.
this comment makes no sense because i wasn’t at speed dating.
jk, WHO WERE YOU CRUSHING ON HUNGER GAMES?!
Hey remember that time when a large insect flew into my mouth while I was talking to a cutie at speed dating and then she made fun of me while I spent the rest of our time coughing and spitting and being absolutely mortified?
I’m not sure if I would be more distracted from homework by this post if I had happened to go or because I couldn’t go.
The band I’m with may be touring the US next year.. surely I could get this to coincide with vollying as a drum teacher at Girls Rock Camp AND immersing myself in this obviously fucking fantastic queer life-altering mountaintop experience, right?
Also, the prospect of actually meeting and befriending you all for realsies has encouraged me to emerge from my lurker cave and interact some more. Because the idea of going to a place where the positive, smart, progressive, accepting, hilarious friendly greatness of internet Autostraddle is translated into flesh Autostraddle means that there’s a reality in which I’ll actually be able to hug you all for being so phenomenal.. and we need to make sure we’re *at the hugging point of okayness* from the split second I arrive at Camp.
Because there will be hugs. Lots of them.
All this with your consent of course.. because we all know consent it important :D
CONSENT GRANTED
This response from you O Riese plus having coffee with a cute lovely girl earlier today = DAY MADE
I also got an extension on two massive assignments due tomorrow! Did I mention that the coffee was of an AMBIGUOUS NATURE and SHE WANTED TO PAY and then afterwards she said I was articulate and that she wanted to do it again sometime (and that I also have it on good authority that she thinks that I’m cute?!)
It doesn’t even matter that I did a sideways bike-plant onto the ground today because my right shoelace was caught on the pedal! TODAY IS AWESOME!
You definitely won the day!
Re: Marni and Tinkerbell
you are the best girlfriend ever that a mother could ever want for her daughter.
xoxo
aw happy mothers day this is so sweet
omg
Can you be my mom plz
ZOMG
Oh my goodness this is the best. Happy mother’s day!
I’m newish to this amazing, beautiful website, and I’m so glad I came along when I did. You are all fabulous and amazing, A-Camp is basically utopia, and I have started setting aside some moneys so I can go to there. :)
PFFT!
I have totally started drinking at 10 am before.
AND! I was doing an assignment too!
*Sighs Wistfully*
I want to go to there.
I thought this was fegging HILARIOUS-
“I don’t think you can truly call yourself a geek until you’ve traveled across the country, climbed a mountain, and slept in bear infested woods just to sit in a room and talk to other people about video games.”
WAIT WAIT WAIT. I did not even catch that. Oh God. Bren. You’re so slick. I can’t with you.
I love-hate those recaps ! I consider A-camp like a weird paradise with unicorns or the 70s: sounds awesomely fun, I want to know what was happening, and I try not to act like a frustrated kid, because there’s just no way I could have been there… Nothing Europe has to offer will make up for it. EVER!
PRANK WARS 2012 STARTED ON THIS DAY!
boom.
aw, the part about me as a success story at the writing workshop warmed my small heartparts. i don’t know where i’d be without AS, but probably somewhere markedly less gaymazing <3 <3 <3
Winning at gaily (AKA GAY-LEY) swinging.
I am SO not your demographic – I’m a lesbian, yes, but I’m also 42yo + married forever + two kids + a dog + fish + …
And I found Autostraddle one night while surfing and I have to say – you all rock! Despite Autostraddle making me feel as if my 20’s were a very long time ago, you really make me smile. And I am so glad you exist. Kudos that you’ve created a community can be so visible, vibrant, supportive and sexy.
Carry On!
I think it’s so cute that marni got tinker bell back for you… So cute!