Francesca

 

 

One summer day in Piedmont, California, a mysterious bus appeared at a park. 11-year-old Francesca climbed into the bus. She found it was filled with fellow campers. 
A performer in a costume stands barefoot on stage holding a staff under a spotlight, while another person stands near a keyboard and a potted plant. The audience is visible in the foreground.

Recognize the intro? If you’ve heard the Magic Tree House audiobook prologue, then I’m sure you do. Otherwise, you’re probably wondering– “how did she remember the entire phrasing of that opening monologue??” You ask, I answer. Since the prologue goes before every Magic Tree House book, and I listened to many of them on audiobook, I still have much of it memorized. Where did that take me? Well, now I’m a voracious reader, writer, and theater kid.

Hi! I’m Francesca, although if you were at camp in 2015 you’d know me as Ninja Giggles.

I didn’t grow up in Frog Creek, PA, I grew up in Mountain View, CA, and ever since I was 11 I have spent a minimum of 2 weeks a year at camp. Outside of the most important 2 weeks of my year I went to school, rode horses, took pictures, played dungeons & dragons, and attempted to bring as much of camp into my life as possible(see: lyra).

I absolutely love music. My favorite colors are blue, orange, and yellow. I wear my crocs almost everywhere and, last year, made the mistake of leaving them out in the sun!! They shrunk!!

I worked as a barista throughout my senior year of high school and my favorite part of that job was getting to see people happy when they liked their drink. Although I was sad to leave my coffee family when I left for college,  I was beyond thrilled to be returning to camp last summer as a JC. This year I was in Oregon for my first year of college. 

A woman in athletic clothing performs an aerial hoop pose, hanging upside down with her legs hooked on the hoop and her hands reaching toward the floor on a black mat in a studio.
A person in a dark jacket and jeans stands on top of a large mossy fallen tree in a forest, surrounded by tall trees and greenery in a sunlit clearing.

(me, pointing out tiny little mushrooms growing on the tree)

 

As a camper one of my biggest goals was to be a counselor, although I didn’t quite understand why. The counselors were some of my most important role models and I looked up to them for their skills(who doesn’t want to know how to spin fire?!), and their energy. So when my time as a camper was up, I did CIRCLE, and then JC! 

A person stands outside at night, swinging two flaming poi, creating bright trails of fire. Buildings with illuminated windows are visible in the background.
A person walks along a forest trail in the early morning, with sunlight streaming through tall trees and mist, creating a glowing effect in the sky. The path is lined with a wooden fence and surrounded by lush greenery.

 With all the experience I have gained from my years at camp and the powerful knowledge of counselor training, I have the honor, this year, to fulfill my 13-year-old self’s dream of doing my own special wakeups, teaching my own clinics, and much, much more! 

A surprised young woman in a checkered crop top holds a large ice cream sandwich over a paper bag inside a bright candy shop, looking wide-eyed at the camera.

(This was my first ever caramel apple experience)

A person wearing a blue jacket and patterned face mask holds up a container of pickle-flavored cotton candy in a colorful, festive store filled with snacks, balloons, and various decorations.

(Would YOU eat the pickle cotton candy?)

A group of eight teens, covered in colorful paint, pose and smile on a sunny grassy field with trees in the background. They appear to be having fun during an outdoor activity or event.

(2021, with my CIRCLE group, after doing the oatmeal fight for the first time!)

I cannot wait to give as many campers as possible a joyful, growth-filled, eye-opening experience!