Ninja Sleep Away Camp
My annual pilgrimage to a weekend seminar.
So I lied to my friend, Claire. I told her that this week’s post wasn’t going to be about our weekend in the woods, but let’s be honest, I really want to talk about why I went out of my way to annoy my allergies and get very little sleep.
I don’t remember how many events I’ve been to in my years of training, but BuFest is my favorite. I call it my ninja family reunion. I missed last year, so I wasn’t letting anything stop me this year.
I missed the opening evening of training because I was busy at an event where I sold my crafts. I showed up at quarter to midnight ready to get to my cabin and sleep. That didn’t happen.
I got kidnapped by one of the teachers to go on a run to the gas station down the road from the camp, followed by talking under the stars. I don’t get to see a lot of my friends except at BuFest, so I didn’t get back into my cabin until after one thirty.
I didn’t get any sleep because most of my cabin mates snored. So I got up at five as is my routine to do all of my morning tasks. Camp is quiet and peaceful at that time. By the time I finished all of my morning ritual, the sun was starting to rise.
I went down to the lake to watch it and spend some time in contemplation. To say I needed that morning’s quiet reflection, with the fog rolling across the lake, is an understatement.
When I trekked back up to the camp, everyone was waking up so it was time for hugs all around. And then, lots of training. All the training. All the being picked to be the person having the technique done to them. Working as a team to break down the mats to set up for food and then wiping everything down and resetting for more training.
Saturday night is a cookout. While we wait for the burgers to cook, we engage in a marshmallow war. Which is really just a bunch of us with PVC pipes shooting mini marshmallows at whomever gets in our way.
After dinner, we do some night training. This year was capture the flag with a twist. We had a traitor on our team without anyone’s knowledge. There might have been handfuls of marshmallows thrown at the instructors after we found out.
By Sunday, everyone is sore and tired, so training is a bit softer. There are more breaks for chatting. People file out as their schedules dictate.
And then we sweep out our cabins and do a final check for anything left behind before heading home. BuFest already a memory.
My allergies suck for the next couple of days. I always forget to take the next day off of work. I find bruises days later and wonder where I got them. So why do I do it?
This is my family. While I will see some of the instructors throughout the year, this is the one time they interact with each other that I get to see. High level instructors who know my name and have been watching me for years as I grow and change in this art.
One in particular usually sets a challenge for me for the next year. And if I fail, I’m usually in trouble in the I get extra beatings kind of way. He never fails to ask what I think I should be working on and gives suggestions as to how I can get there.
I wouldn’t miss this weekend for the world (unless I am sick like I was last year).
Weekly Goals
Write 7K words: Failure. Not only a failure, but my flash drive ate the last couple of months’ work and I have to rewrite six chapters of one book and an untold number of another.
Read one book: Success. I finished Hot SEAL, Dirty Martini by Cat Johnson.
Sew ten dice bags: Success.
Go to the gym twice: Success, but barely. I was sick again and had some stomach issues that had me doing bare minimum at the gym.
Go to class: Failure. See above that I was sick. Although, does it count if I went to a weekend long seminar?
