Entry # 9

Nov 17th & 18th Entry #9

You have now learned what personal and critical responses to images entail. Now, using your ability to be discerning, find an image online that you believe would be worthwhile to respond to. Put a link to the image on your blog (NOT THE IMAGE ITSELF) and then write a personal or critical response to the image of at least 400 words.
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It was a summer that I could never forget and right here by the lake on the last night before I head back to the city I can tell that I will never be the same.
Two months ago I was trespassing with some friends on the old farmers land on the east side of town, we didn't think much of it because that was where we go all the time to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city but what was different about this time was is that we got caught. We had two choices after the police came and got us, 1. We could pay a fine of $500 or 2. We could spend the summer in the Yukon at a camp to help troubled teens. My parents have been having money troubles ever since my brother got sick and had to be cared for full time, my mother quit her job to look after him. They told me that I needed time to get my life straight again and that I would be going to the Yukon but I knew that they just didn’t have the money to pay the fine and now where for me to go this summer because grandma now lives in a home for the elderly. My friend’s parents just paid the fine and that was it but I was headed up north by myself for 2 months!
When I arrived at the camp for troubled teen I noticed one thing right away, it was empty. I don’t mean that there was no one there but It seemed liked it, in total there were only 10 teens and it was huge, I never thought the camp was going be this empty with so much room. The bunk room I got assigned to had 6 bunks but there was only one other girl in cabin G3. My bunk mates name was Cindy, she told me that she was only there because her parents thought it would be a great experience for her and that she wasn’t really a ‘troubled teen’ but a teen with parents who didn’t like being around her, right away we became good friends.
The first month that I was there everything seemed to be going pretty normal, well as normal as a camp for troubled teens could be. We played games to boost self confidence, and to learn to trust people along with swimming, hiking, and sitting around the camp fire. At the end of first month I knew all of the other kids there and to tell you the truth, only a couple of them seemed like they needed to be here. Everybody was nice to each other and got along with the councilors, it was more like a camp for teens that did something stupid and got caught doing it.
The next month flew by, if I had to pick a summer that was the best it would be this one. Everything seemed perfect when I was here; I don’t know if it was the fresh air or being with a bunch of really fun people that made me feel this way but whatever it was I never want this feeling gone. The summer was over and I start school in three days and it is the last night here at camp and the last night with Cindy and my other new friends but it couldn’t have been a better way to end the best summer I have ever had. Normally the campers aren’t allowed to swim at night for safety reason but tonight unlike most nights, it was the last night and the northern lights were shining brightly. Everyone went for one last swim in the lake and then we all slept down at the beach under the stars for that last night together.