28, it'll be great!

Max Monty Photography 

Today, I say farewell to my golden year, and hello to the ever exciting age of 28! I'm kidding, of course, since no one really looks forward to turning 28 unless that happens to be their golden year, but nevertheless, here we are.  If I'm being perfectly honest, I've been 28 in my head for like the last 3 years.  Not really sure why, but I distinctly remember thinking a few years ago, slow down Vickie, you're only 26, not 28! 28 feels... established.  My first thought is old but it doesn't really feel old, it just feels like I'm not young anymore.  I do, however, feel like I'm finally settling into adulthood, even if I am still eating like a six year old.  I guess the whole having the same job for five years and getting married and owning a house thing plays into that established feeling, but I also feel like I'm no longer trying to "find myself."  If you had asked me 10 years ago what 28 would look like, it would be nothing like it actually does, but I actually prefer it this way.  I definitely thought I'd get married and have kids young, but right now, the idea of having a 3 year old running around makes me cringe.  I'm so excited to have kids eventually, but dang it if I'm not glad I've waited.  I never imagined living on the east coast, especially for this long, but there's really no place I'd rather be right now.  I know it's not a forever home, but I'm really enjoying being here right now.

The last few months I've been thinking a lot about the version of myself that I like the best, and I definitely think it's Camp Nurse Vickie.  Does this really surprise anyone?  When I was younger, I loved camp because it took me away from the struggles of real life and let me just hang out with people who loved me and we did silly and fun things all day and then stayed up way too late talking and that was that.  As I got older and my role at camp switched into one with responsibility, I liked it because it allowed me to grow and learn from people who loved me and we still did silly things and talked way too much.  Six years ago, when I first stepped into the role of Camp Nurse, I'm pretty sure my love of camp faded because I was so dang terrified.  I was really comfortable organizing and yelling at kids through a megaphone and making sure we had all the right supplies, but as soon as I was responsible for the well-being of 300 kids, camp life got much more stressful.  But it also got so much better.  That first summer at Riverview taught me so much about how much better life is when you fully rely on God- mostly because there was nothing else I could do but pray that I would know how to handle each situation, injury and sickness that was brought before me.  Now that I'm more confident in my nursing skills and have a greater general health knowledge, I get a lot more sleep than I did that first summer, but I still find myself outside of my comfort zone enough to start each morning with a prayer of reliance and I'm quick to go to Him when I don't exactly know what to do.  If only I could be like that in my everyday life.

I'm also selfless and more likely to help others at camp.  I keep my eye on the common, greater goal and ignore my selfish desires and general lazy tendencies in order to help push everyone toward the finish line.  I listen more and talk less.  I make sure to spend alone time with Jesus and eat three real meals daily.  I watch other people use their gifts to glorify the kingdom by loving on kids and it inspires me to do more of the same.  I spend less time on my phone and more time fully engaged with what is going on around me.  I'm patient and caring even when I don't want to be and I try my best to make sure each kid who comes to see me knows that they are loved.  I care less about how I look and more about what I'm doing.

It's no wonder that camp is the place I long for, the place I fell in love and the environment in which I chose to begin our marriage.  It's the place I feel most like the person I was created to be.

In short, to me, camp is a glimpse of heaven-   and I think that's why I want to share it with so many people.  I often find myself saying "I wish you could come to camp with us" because I want people to feel what I feel when I'm there.

As a kid, coming home from camp was the worst because reality would hit my like a truck.  Something usually happened in the few days after we got back that would force me to remember that we aren't in heaven yet.

But that doesn't mean I can't be more like that version of myself everyday; it just takes more of an effort.

So that's the goal of 28- be more like Camp Nurse Vickie in the 51 weeks that I'm not at camp.

I think in doing so, I'll be a better Real Nurse Vickie, a better wife, a better friend, sister, daughter, aunt, student and teacher.  Because what better way to love people than to be a glimpse of heaven.