Carolyn Rath
So it's about that time of the summer when all of your friends, scattered among every corner of the world, send out the links to their personal blogs where they are documenting their fabulous worldly adventures. Before I arrived in NOLA, I started to read these blogs religiously, hoping to feel just a little closer to my faraway friends. One of the blogs stuck out to me right away. I have a friend who is spending her summer working with horses at an agricultural research center. Now for as long as I can remember, this girl has LOVED horses - I'm talking shelves and shelves of horse figurines, people! And now, she has an internship that is positively perfect for her and that brings her so much joy every day. Each time I read one of her blog posts, I found myself wishing and hoping that my service experience in New Orleans would not only allow me to find my own happiness, but also to spread this happiness to others. It's safe to say that, so far, my wishes have been answered.
Two and a half weeks into the Kids Culinary Camp at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, I can honestly say that I can't remember the last time that I've been so happy. As a camp counselor, I have the opportunity to introduce elementary school children to things that I am really passionate about, like healthy eating and exercise. What's more, I am lucky enough to learn so much from my favorite little campers. Whether they are teaching me about the traditional cuisine of New Orleans (like red beans and rice, which should be eaten on Mondays apparently) or helping me to be a better leader, I am so grateful that I get to spend time with these sweet kids. The most important lesson I've learned from the campers is that really, when it boils down to it, every kid just wants to be appreciated, listened to, and loved. Every day when I go to camp, I do all that I can to show the kiddos just how much I love them.
Sometimes at camp, we have bad moments. We have moments when the camp staff are all going in different directions, with different ideas about what we're doing next. We have moments where the turkey meatballs are not quite ready to come out of the skillet, but we have the desperate, wild eyes of 25 hungry children staring us down. We even have moments when we have to raise our voices, scold, and watch a little face crumple. But even though we have bad moments, we never have bad days. Thanks to the fast friendships formed among the camp staff, I am confident that we can always work through any glitch that threatens to derail our day.
I am so grateful to be working with Paige from the DE NOLA program, two fantastic interns from Tulane, and our awesome camp director Jennie! Working with these ladies doesn't even feel like work - even when we're washing endless dishes in the kitchen or hyperventilating when our portable burners don't light, we're always laughing and finding new ways to make the camp the best that it can be. I'm looking forward to more great times with the amazing camp staff and adorable campers this summer. My greatest hope isn't that the campers will try those veggies they've been pushing around their plates or even that they won't complain when I make them do lunges or jumping jacks. It's that they will have a fun-packed week where they feel happy, proud of themselves for learning new skills, and, most importantly, loved.
Here's a quick peek at what's been happening at the kids camp - this is a picture from the graduation ceremony for our Week 2 chefs:
Two and a half weeks into the Kids Culinary Camp at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, I can honestly say that I can't remember the last time that I've been so happy. As a camp counselor, I have the opportunity to introduce elementary school children to things that I am really passionate about, like healthy eating and exercise. What's more, I am lucky enough to learn so much from my favorite little campers. Whether they are teaching me about the traditional cuisine of New Orleans (like red beans and rice, which should be eaten on Mondays apparently) or helping me to be a better leader, I am so grateful that I get to spend time with these sweet kids. The most important lesson I've learned from the campers is that really, when it boils down to it, every kid just wants to be appreciated, listened to, and loved. Every day when I go to camp, I do all that I can to show the kiddos just how much I love them.
Sometimes at camp, we have bad moments. We have moments when the camp staff are all going in different directions, with different ideas about what we're doing next. We have moments where the turkey meatballs are not quite ready to come out of the skillet, but we have the desperate, wild eyes of 25 hungry children staring us down. We even have moments when we have to raise our voices, scold, and watch a little face crumple. But even though we have bad moments, we never have bad days. Thanks to the fast friendships formed among the camp staff, I am confident that we can always work through any glitch that threatens to derail our day.
I am so grateful to be working with Paige from the DE NOLA program, two fantastic interns from Tulane, and our awesome camp director Jennie! Working with these ladies doesn't even feel like work - even when we're washing endless dishes in the kitchen or hyperventilating when our portable burners don't light, we're always laughing and finding new ways to make the camp the best that it can be. I'm looking forward to more great times with the amazing camp staff and adorable campers this summer. My greatest hope isn't that the campers will try those veggies they've been pushing around their plates or even that they won't complain when I make them do lunges or jumping jacks. It's that they will have a fun-packed week where they feel happy, proud of themselves for learning new skills, and, most importantly, loved.
Here's a quick peek at what's been happening at the kids camp - this is a picture from the graduation ceremony for our Week 2 chefs:
Don't forget to check out the camp blog, which we update daily with our culinary adventures!
And now, ladies and gentlemen, I will share the ultimate, most magical moment of my DukeEngage NOLA experience so far… our jaunt to Creole Creamery last weekend for some much-needed ice cream!
And now, ladies and gentlemen, I will share the ultimate, most magical moment of my DukeEngage NOLA experience so far… our jaunt to Creole Creamery last weekend for some much-needed ice cream!
And in case you're wondering, yes, I did eat the whole thing! Judge if you must, but I will never, I repeat NEVER, turn down ice cream :) Until next time, y'all!
-Carolyn Rath :)
-Carolyn Rath :)