First of all, the camp was in a location which wasn't as nice as where we usually hold our camps (no forest, a not-so-clean lake, unhappy villagers, and campers which were "unique" and somewhat uncooperative). However, the location was far more practical for concerts due to a large cow barn which was cleaned (with 3 days of back-breaking labor prior to the festival) and decorated with black lights and graffiti art on black plastic along the walls. This enabled the expensive sound equipment to be protected (not to mention the campers) during the rain storms and high winds that frequented the camp.
Secondly, the camp wasn't that well organized, and what Veronika and I traveled there to do wasn't needed after all. We had been asked to organize several team-building games and a few big camp night games. As it turned out, the musician groupie campers weren't at all interested in that kind of thing and no one participated in any game except for the hour of icebreakers at the very beginning of the camp. So, in one sense, I felt like it was wasted time to be there - especially as we got very little sleep (thanks to noisy tent neighbors and the schedule) and didn't really drink much at all the whole 3 days and there weren't places to easily wash hands, etc.
But most of all, what made it my least favorite camp was the myriad of ants everywhere in our tent. And when I say a myriad of ants, I don't mean a few ants, I mean fountains of ants crawling into every crevice in our bags and on our bodies. I woke up the first night when an ant crawled into my ear! They were in our hair, in our clothes, in our sleeping bags, in our bags and stuff, basically in and under everything! Whoever set up the tent hadn't realized that he set up the tent on top of several ant hills - and that the ants decided that our tent was part of their new luxury home. When we took the tent down at the end of the festival, the corners were so full of ants it was worse than sprinkles on an ice cream cone. Our bags were so full of ants, they made an ant farm look like an ant-less desert.
That's not to say there weren't good moments too - like helping injured/sick people and keeping an eye on swimmers (my other job there was to be the doctor and lifeguard). There was also good fellowship with fellow helpers and fresh country air to breathe and blue, open skies (when it wasn't raining). There were also some marvelous sunsets and although it was the first camp that I was glad to leave the village and go back to the city, it at least made me appreciative of what I have and the beauty of the countryside.
When I got home, I had to eradicate the invasion of the moths, which had taken up residence and multiplied in my cupboards whilst I was gone... Ah yes, now why exactly is it that it never rains, but pours? Such happenings tend to come in droves rather than one at a time, at least for me.
Now, it's back to work and organizing the next expedition (to Romania for sport training and then a football camp in Odessa) and trying to sort out lots of red tape and administrative details (which is not my forte)! Hmm, I think I prefer the invasion of the ants...haha! ;-)
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