Best Friends Are Made at Birch Trail

12 years ago I needed a summer job. I was NOT going back to Yuma for the summer, so I decided to look for jobs at summer camps. I ended up getting a job at a camp in Northern Wisconsin (yes, Northern Wisconsin sounded better than Yuma). I packed my bags and flew to Minneapolis, got picked up in a big white van, and rode into the bustling metropolis of Minong, WI, population 521. And I began my first summer at Camp Birch Trail- an all girls camp that ended up being amazing.

When I first got there I told myself it was only 2 months and I can survive 2 months, and even if I didn't like anyone, it would be ok. I was 20- I was afraid the other kids wouldn't like me. I also figured it was a good trial run for studying abroad, which I wanted to do at some point. But I lucked out and Birch Trail was fantastic, plus I made some great friends. I worked there for a total of 3 summers, until I moved to Tucson and got a "real" job and no longer had summers off (man I miss college life!). One of the friends I met my last summer was Stacy. And we've been friends ever since.

We make it a point to visit each other as often as we can, at least a couple times per year. I have spent many a St Patrick's day in St Louis and she's made a few trips to the desert. We've also met up in Denver a couple of times- a convenient non-stop flight for both of us. And we did it again this year- to celebrate her September Birthday, being friends for 10 years, not being at work, and whatever else sounded good.

I really love Denver- it's pretty, the weather is nice, and there are lots of cute places there. The alcohol is way too expensive and difficult to get, but other than that I'm a fan. This weekend was no exception. The best part of seeing an old friend is just doing nothing. And nothing we did- there was cider and coloring and cable, which luckily was playing a Harry Potter marathon, ate cheese, and got a Bobble head at a baseball game.

I'm really bad at doing nothing- I always feel like there is something that should be done. Places to see, things to do. Especially on vacation. But the best part of Denver is for the most part, I've seen it. Which makes nothing a lot easier. And there was one notable event- we saw Boys II Men. They were playing at the taste of Colorado for free. We were nearly trampled in a crowd while we walked through the crowd, but eventually we found some incredibly over priced food and then some open grass that was practically behind the stage. We listened to about 4 songs, heard "On Bended Knee" and then called it a night. Boys II Men is not great live, but we can blame the speakers and outdoor stage set-up.

Other highlights included grilling and using an old atlas for fire starting, baseball game with Madeline, cider tasting at two different Cider breweries, an Uber ride with a gross bro-y dude who felt it necessary to comment on a woman's breasts as she was running, and the most amazing cookbook ever. I haven't tried the recipes yet, but I'm sure they're great.

 Ten years apart!