Welcome to the Alphabet of Debbie the Great!! Here you will learn your ABCs along with some fun facts about moi! Enjoy!!
A is for Adrenaline
I have dabbled in my fair share of extreme activities over the years, enjoying the world’s largest bridge bungee jump in South Africa, a skydive in local Sacramento, a helicopter ride in Australia and some crazy long ziplines in Costa Rica.
B is for Boots
Not the pretty, high heeled type, but the sturdy hiking type! I LOVE to hike. I can walk for miles and do most of my big thinking and life planning while walking around. I am a firm believer that everything feels better after a good walk (except your blisters)! I currently own 6 pairs of hiking boots/shoes! I love to hike to places with a vista, so I can look down on a view. My favorite thing to do is to find a trail and follow it to see where it leads. Last year I completed the 19 km Tongariro Alpine crossing in New Zealand in -7C weather and 70km winds.
C is for Camp!
Camp Augusta has been my life for the best part of 7 years. This summer will be my 8th, and this winter marked my 5th year as a year round staff member. I am usually one of the elves emailing parents about summer camp and family camp and so know most of you by name already. Don’t be freaked out if, after telling me your first name, I can tell you your last name and the names of all your family. Try me! While at camp I can be found in the office, goofing off in the dining area, singing songs in the campfire circle or in a harness in a tree somewhere.
D is for Donuts
Ok, I have to confess, I have the sweetest tooth of anyone I have ever met! I love to eat sweet things and seem to have no limit to the amount of chocolate I can eat. Donuts in particular are a favorite of mine :P.
E is for England
My home country! I grew on the outskirts of a large industrial city called Birmingham which is pretty much in the middle of England. Known for its coal, steel and glass work, though I appreciate where I live for its job creation and creativity, I much prefer the fresh air and rolling hills of the country side. Fun fact about my home town: we built the anchor for the Titanic and hey, there was nothing wrong with that anchor!
F is for First Aid
I volunteered for 3 years as a first responder getting to attend big events such as Wimbledon (where I met the Queen and Andy Murray), the London Marathon (where I technically ran a quarter mile of it in order to get to a patient) and the Six Nations Rugby Union Championship. Though I no longer have the time to volunteer here, my training has never left me and I still love a good injury to bandage up. You could say I am the right person to have around in an emergency :).
G is for Games
One of my favorite things to do with friends to have a games night. Board games, word games you name it! Though I am pretty terrible at most games I play and tend to lose, I still love the participation 😀
H is for Hopes
My hope is to one day be able to lead some wilderness therapy weekends with children in my home country. Though this stuff is out there, in the UK it has not yet become popular. One day, I hope to be a part of a program that helps change children’s lives in my home country.
I is for Indian Food
Or food in general. I love a good, hearty meal and Indian food is my favorite. My town does some of the best Indian food in the country and I used to live within walking distance of 8 different Indian restaurants mm mmmm.
J is for Junior Counselors (JCs)
One role I have at camp is that of the JC Mentor. I work with our 17 and 18 year old potential counselors providing support and feedback to help them grow and improve in order to become strong counselors in future years. This program is one of my key passions at Camp Augusta and I find an incredible amount of joy seeing JCs become capable counselors.
K is for Knitting
Like my mother, I love to knit. I love to knit hats and gloves mostly so if you need to keep warm this summer, let me know ;).
L is for Lord of the Rings
My one true love in life and only obsession. I adore the world of Middle Earth and secretly curse the universe that I wasn’t born a hobbit. Last year, I lived my childhood dream by visiting New Zealand and seeing many of the filming locations including the famous Hobbiton :D. I am already planning my trip back there for 2019!
M is for Movies
Sitting in the movies and watching a good film is also something I find a lot of joy in. I mostly enjoy fantasy type movies where I can appreciate the creation of whole new worlds. I also love a good tear jerker.
N is for Nephews
I have two nephews whom I love with all my heart. One is 3 years old and his brother is 4. Most my spare time at home is spent playing with them and, sorry parents, but they are the two people I miss the most each summer. This summer I am excited for the addition of a new Niece whom is due in May!
O is for Outdoors
Despite growing up in the UKs second largest city, I love being outdoors surrounded by nature. I love the smell of pine trees in the rain, the feel of sun on my skin and sleeping under the stars. I am a firm believer that the outdoors is the best medicine for the human soul and since living and working at Camp Augusta, I get my perfect dose of the outdoors. Along with hiking, I also love to camp, having camped in pouring rain, high winds, snow and freezing temperatures over the years – none of which were ever planned for :P…
P is for Puns
Know any good ones? If so, lay them on me! Having a father who practically invented the phrase ‘dad jokes’, no pun is too cheesy or too lame to crack a smile or a laugh out of me! My brother and I frequently have pun-wars where you can only say something if there is a pun in there somewhere. I am a huge lover of puns!
Q is for Quigleys!
The Quigley family is quite unique, we are a huge family, with both my parents being one of 5 children (giving me 10 aunts, 10 uncles, around 30 cousins and 15 2nd cousins so far) and with me also being one of 5 children, our family gatherings are really something to behold. I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers and I am bang smack in the middle of that. We all grew up in a small house together with all 7 of us sharing just one bathroom! My two sisters and I shared a bedroom until I was 18 when I went to University. Despite growing up on top of each other, we are still very close now, all living within a 30 minute drive of one another (except, of course, when I am at camp which is a little longer than 30 minutes away…). People say we all look alike, but I can’t see it – can you?
R is for Reading
I LOVE to read. I worked in a bookstore for 3 years and loved it there! The smell and feel of a book excites me so much. Despite my love for books, my bookshelf is small. I don’t believe in keeping books unless you are certain you will read them again – books are for reading, not for keeping on a shelf. I usually hand off my books to friends, family or book swaps once I am done so more may experience the joy of the read. Some books I do keep however, in fact I own two copies of Shakespeare’s full works :D.
S is for Scared…
I am terrified of spiders! I am very uncomfortable if I am in the dark alone and cucumber really creeps me out.
T is for Travel
I have been trotting around the globe now for almost 8 years, never being in any place longer than 6 months at a time. I have ridden elephants in South Africa, road tripped to over 25 States of America, climbed volcanoes in Costa Rica, gotten lost in Venice, spent 5 days at the Dutch festival of Carnival, snorkelled the great barrier reef, and marvelled at the beauty of the mountains in New Zealand. In the last 8 years, I have taken over 90 flights around the world! Places I want to still see are Peru, Brazil, Canada, Thailand and Indonesia.
U is for University
Many years ago, I studied Drama at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and I LOVED it there. Mainly studying Shakespeare (hence the two copies of his works that I own) and stage management, I finished my degree with memories that will last a lifetime and an honors of the highest grade. Wales will always hold a huge part of my heart.
W is for Water
I am a terrible swimmer! Seriously! When I swim in the lake I usually request my own personal lifeguard because I get so convinced I will drown. Despite the picture above (of which, it took about half an hour of coaxing to get into the water despite the fact I was wearing a life jacket!), water parks are my nightmare and while I love the beach, it is the ‘beach’ part never the ‘sea’ section that you will find me on.
X is for X-ray
Fun fact – I have never broken a bone! Well, except my nose which has been broken twice now, once in a scuffle with my sister as kids and the second time at camp while climbing a tree – I dropped a piece of gear on my face about 30 feet into a climb – needless to say, I never look directly up when I have gear in my hands now :D.
Y is for Years
I am 28 years young and will be celebrating my 8th birthday at camp this summer during Session 5!!
Z is for ZIPLINE!
You can usually find me in the trees at camp, zipping above you. I officially hold the title for most High Zips ever done and was one of the first people trained on our new Canopy Zip tour. Come and join me up in the trees this summer – I’ll see you up there! ‘Climb on!’
