This last week proved to be one of the more phsyically demanding weeks of the summer. The reason? I was working with children. Specifically, 3rd to 5th graders; those inexhaustible, relentlessly energetic youths who never tire. Now, as a 20 year old who is quite out of shape (read: embarrassingly so), I was driven into the ground. The week focused on the one hour lunch I had with them, in which they decided that throwing pinecones at each other was a genuine form of fun. Unfortunately, I was not left out of the game. The other assistant for the class, Ryan, encouraged my participation, and thus the spirited kids decided that they should gang up and throw pinecones at me. Then, I would chase them, my cross-country years coming to mind. They found that having me pursue them across the baseball field was very funny.

We also went spelunking (or caving) in an old mine shaft up in the hills. With the instructors standing in the back I was handed a flashlight and told to lead the way into the low-ceilinged cave tunnels- it was so exciting! It smelled damp and dank, and beer cans littered the ground, some rusty with age, others still sporting their chrome-like facade. The kids thought it was the bees knees, and I agreed!

We also hiked, walked, climbed, scraped knees, acquired bruises and laughed loudly- a good week of physical activity, if I do say so myself!

The class focused on photography and art in nature, so I have pin hole photographs that I will try and post soon, but for now here are photographs of this week’s escapades and adventures!