21 January: It's Been 3 Weeks

I've officially been in England for three weeks now, and I'm really starting to feel it. It's not that I'm not having fun. On the contrary, I'm having a great time! I absolutely love England and do not regret coming here at all. However, I'm really starting to miss home.

As a camp counselor, I have to deal with this problem quite a bit, and I must say, I've gotten quite good at it. Usually, these conversations follow a simple formula, so I have all of my lines memorized. So I guess that the only person that can talk me through this is...me.

Camper Ellen: "I really want to go home."
Counselor Ellen: "Oh, honey, it's okay! You want to sit here and talk about it?"
Camper Ellen: *Nods and sits down* "I just really want to go home!"
Counselor Ellen: "But think about everything you'd miss out on! Don't you want to watch Eurovision and go to the clubs and go sight seeing?"
Camper Ellen: "Yes, but I still miss my friends!"
Counselor Ellen: "And I'm sure that they miss you, too. But it's okay, because once you get home, you'll have so many cool stories to tell them! And they would hate to think that you're sad! They want you to have a good time!"
Camper Ellen: "I miss my family, too!"
Counselor Ellen: "Your family loves you so, so much, and they don't want you to be sad either. And you know what's really cool?"
Camper Ellen: "Hmm?"
Counselor Ellen: "They trust you enough to send you all the way to England by yourself. They think that you're responsible and mature enough to be able to do this. Doesn't that make you feel so proud of yourself?"
Camper Ellen: "I guess so. But I still miss them."
Counselor Ellen: "What are you looking forward to doing most of all?"
Camper Ellen: "Harry Potter Studio Tour."
Counselor Ellen: "That's going to be a lot of fun, isn't it? That's actually what I'm the most excited for, too."
Camper Ellen: "But I miss the food at home. I miss mom's food."
Counselor Ellen: "But there's so many good foods here, too! You can't have all of the chocolates that you have here at home, do you?"
Camper Ellen: "No, I guess I can't."
Counselor Ellen: "And can I tell you a little secret?"
Camper Ellen: "Yeah!"
Counselor Ellen: "The second you go home, you're just going to want to turn around and come back."
Camper Ellen: "Really?"
Counselor Ellen: "Really. That's how I was when I first came, and now look at me. I never leave!"
Camper Ellen: *giggles*
Counselor Ellen: "Alright. It's super, super late and I don't want you falling asleep on your walk to campus tomorrow. You think you'll be able to fall asleep now?"
Camper Ellen: "Yeah. Thank you!"
Counselor Ellen: "That's what I'm here for! Goodnight!"

I know that you're probably all making this face right now o.O but I'm feeling a lot better.

I guess that everybody misses home sometimes...especially when they're all the way across the ocean...but as long as you remember how cool it is that you are wherever you are, then it'll all be okay.

      ((Camper Ellen. I was 14, but sadly, none of the "little camper Ellen" pictures are on Facebook))