This is the Sound

Most of my favourite moments of the summer were spent on, by or looking over the Long Island Sound.

On the day we arrived, one of the first things I remember doing was walking down to the Sound with Katie, Pete, Jess, Hannah and Rachel and walking along the beach for a bit, taking in our new surroundings which involved a beautiful clear sky, sandy beach and the sea! I remember having no idea what the summer would turn out to be like yet feeling like I was meant to be there and excited for what was to come.

Whilst we were in our last week of staff training, the 4th July rolled around! That evening was spent kayaking until sunset, playing american football on the beach, eating s'mores around a campfire, watching fireworks and stargazing. It was one of those nights that was quite honestly perfect.

Because I was a climbing instructor and not needed on the beach, I usually had time off when the morning activities down at the Sound were going on. This was good for me as the morning was a reasonable time to skype my family back home and also because one day it meant I got to ride in the motorboat! It was such a cool experience, made even more awesome by the nice weather and conversation with Kevin, head motorboator (legit term).

Aside from accompanying campers up and down the stairs to the beach, I think the only times I was properly down there with them was for the hardcore sandcastle competitions (oh, and beach clean up)! With our second group of kids, Jess and I created the lost city of Atlantis and with the third, a (real life) hermit crab which involved Jess folding herself up in a trash can, what a legend.

And finally, there were some absolutely amazing sunsets that I experienced throughout the summer, a real testament to God's beauty and power in creation. On my midweek days off I went down in the evening with a book, my ipod and journal and it was beautiful. 

Manchester's grey skies can't compare really!
Bethan
p.s. if you get the title reference, you win.