WARNING: The following post is unimaginably lengthy. I'm not kidding. As in, no joke, it's long. Just scroll down a little bit. You see? Yeah, it's long, isn't it? This post attempts to summarize (though instead of summarizing I went into excruciating detail) my past month and a half. Read at your own risk. Don't say I didn't warn you.
This one's for Ferg.
Hello Reader,
Where to begin. I literally have no idea where I could possibly start in summarizing my adventures over the past month or so. I guess I could start a little something like this...
Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C., the delightful endeavors I shared with my friends, could all be easily summarized as "A Mountaintop Experience." This is how our leader, Mark Hoffman intuitively worded it.
I cannot seem to remember what took place before we left in preparation for the trip, so it must not have been of much importance... So logically, the best place for me to begin this "story" would be on our departure date, the 22nd of July.
Justin, Nathan, and myself arrived at the Lansing Meijer parking lot at 7:00 P.M., dressed in full Class A uniforms. We were amongst the first few who arrived on time. The rest of the scouts showed up within ten minutes of our arriving, all of whom were also dressed full uniform. We sorted all of our duffel's by patrol (Cobra, Badger, Panther, and Road Runner) and adult leader. At this point we all reluctantly gathered for our first group photo of the trip. Here's the first shot.
Don't we just look enthused?
After we said goodbye to our parents, we eagerly boarded the charter bus. Luke and I grabbed some seats halfway down the aisle and quickly stored our day packs in the luggage compartment. Once we were seated, we ditched the Class A's and breathed a sigh of relief. We couldn't believe we were finally leaving. Over a year of waiting and the day had come, we were finally aboard the bus on our way to Washington D.C.
As we pulled out of the Meijer, we waved goodbye to our parents, it would be the last time we'd see them for the next two weeks. I have no doubt that each and every parent in the parking lot made some sort of major sacrifice, one way or another, to send their scout to the Jamboree. As I waved goodbye to my parents, I was filled gratitude and thankfulness. Though I helped pay part of my way, I knew my parents covered a majority of the $1500 +.
And now, for the next eleven hours, we'd be relaxing on an air conditioned luxury bus. Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Bergeon briefed us on the schedule for the next three days and gave us our I.D. tags in case we lost our group.
When the adults had finished informing us, we then popped in the first Harry Potter movie (did I mention the bus had televisions?). I'd seen it a number of times before, so Ferg (Luke) and I chit-chatted about D.C., the Jamboree, what to expect, etc.
I think we watched a total of 2 movies and made a total of 3 "pit-stops" on the way to D.C. Let me just say, gas stations at early hours of the morning with many enthusiastic people make for good memories. Tehe.
At 3:00 A.M. we switched drivers. Mr. Toy has served as a Chief Okemos Council bus driver for the past three Jamborees! He told us some stories of when he accompanied his son to the jamboree in 1993 or 1997. He appeared to be a pretty cool bus driver, but it wasn't until later that we realized how awesome he truly was.
After 3:00 A.M., everyone wanted to get a few hours rest before we arrived in D.C., this included myself. For whatever the reason, Brenden's snoring, the cool bus temperature, the ever looming excitement of arriving in D.C. (I think it was probably the two liters of Mountain Dew Voltage I guzzled) that kept me awake through the night. From 4:00 A.M. to 5:00 A.M., I finally caught a few z's. When I awoke at 5:00, Andrew R. was the only other person awake. We both (somewhat drowsily) discussed the days upcoming events, all the while waiting for the sun to rise.
Random note: Over the course of this summer, I've decided I prefer sunrises to sunsets.
At about 6:00 A.M., everyone was waking up and by 7:00 A.M. we were in D.C.! We passed by the Pentagon, the White House, and then the Capitol. Mr. Toy parked on the side of the road, about 150 yards from the Washington Monument. Mr. Hoffman (our Scoutmaster) informed us that it was going to be VERY hot in D.C. that day. All of us needed to wear our Class A uniforms while touring the city...
With full water bottles in hand, we all exited the bus and got our first real look at the Washington Monument. It was tall, really tall. It's funny, because I've seen the Washington Monument in numerous movies and picture books, but seeing it in person was way different. When I was little, I always thought that going to Washington D.C. would be the most boring trip ever, but now that I was there, I couldn't think of anyplace on earth I'd rather be.
There was a vacated stage near the Monument where we set up and ate breakfast. Mr. Hoffman was right, it was going to be a very hot day.
Let me briefly address something. Wearing a full Class A uniform, while wearing a Class B uniform underneath, in 111 degree temperatures, is NOT a good idea. In fact, I'd say it's a very poor idea. Yes, I suppose it made keeping track of us a little easier for our leaders, but we were dying. I've never been so hot in my entire life. Poor Caleb B. brought a 100% cotton Class A, while the rest of us brought 100% nylon. In the first 15 minutes, his entire uniform had absorbed all of the sweat his body was producing.
We finished up breakfast and made our way over to the Monument. We took a couple pictures, checked it out, then kept moving. From the Washington Monument we walked to the Capitol!
Let me briefly address another issue. The security guards in D.C. can be very rude. I'm pretty positive most of them have some sort of grudge against boy scouts... Upon entering the Capitol, the security guard voiced to all of us that we needed to take off our belt buckles to go through security. Of course, my belt buckle wouldn't come off. This is sort of how the conversation between me and the security guard went,
"I'm sorry, I'll have it off in a moment..." ~ Me
"Oh, 'just a moment', so this is about saving your time." ~ Guard
"I can take off the whole belt if I have to." ~ Me
"That'd be a good idea, let's not make this about you." ~ Guard
See what I mean? "... Welcome to the United States Capitol, NOW TAKE OFF YOUR BELT, FOOL!"
After we'd all gone through security we crossed through the next room to get in line, and man were we in for a surprise. Hundreds of scouts from all over the country were getting in line for their tour as well. Everyone in our group was a little awe-struck. We eagerly got in line and begun conversing with scouts from Ohio, Indiana, California, and AUSTRALIA. The Australians were the most fun to talk with though.
When it was finally our turn to tour the Capitol, everyone was on a buzz! I'd say more than half of us hadn't been to D.C. before, and the one's who had, hadn't toured the Capitol. For those you you reading this who've never toured our Nation's Capitol, DO IT. It's a must.
At one point, we walked right by Nancy Pelosi's office...
"Pssst, who wants to knock on the door and interrupt her from making changes that will ultimately ruin America?" ~ Justin
"Hahaha, no! Let's look at that painting of George Washington instead..." Caleb
After the Capitol tour we met back up with Mr. Toy at our rendezvous point at the Washington Monument. When we climbed back into the air conditioned bus, it was as though a chorus of angels broke out in song. Except... It wasn't angels, it was Lady Gaga, being blasted out of the buses stereo system. Though most of us weren't fans of Gaga, we decided to be crazy and dance up and down the aisle of the bus to "Bad Romance." Mr. Toy was pretty cool about it... Most bus drivers would've had us sit down. But dancing, to Gaga, on a bus? Just part of the typical Jamboree experience.
From the Washington Monument we had the option of exploring 2 of the 4 different museums: National Archives, American Smithsonian, Natural History Smithsonian, and the Holocaust Museum. Luke, Justin, Hunter, Ryan, Thomas, Brenden, Caleb, and I all decided to visit the National Archives first, so we all filed out of the bus into the hot sun once more. Walking the streets of D.C. for the first time unaccompanied by the older adults was a bit of a relief. We went at our own pace, checking out some of the stands that were open. There were so many miscellaneous items ready for purchase!
Once we'd arrived at the National Archives, I was very excited to view some of the documents that influenced our nation's history! The Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights... Too cool. Afterwards we had a bite to eat in the downstairs cafeteria.
After that we met up with the rest of our group, did a head count, and left for a second attraction. A quarter of the group (including myself) was interested in touring the Smithsonian of Natural History. I've never been to a more interesting museum before! There were so many things to see... It was unbelievable. Possibly the most notable moment was seeing the Hope Diamond. I thought it would be bigger... Hahaha, but it certainly was a beautiful shade of blue, and rather LARGE.
Anyway, that was basically the highlight of the Smithsonian of Natural History. Directly proceeding we met up with the rest of our group at the corner where we were dropped off. There Mr. Toy promptly picked us up.
That night, we slept in a spacious, air-conditioned, Lutheran church. At around 11:00 P.M. we killed the lights so we could get a few reasonable hours of rest before our another full day in D.C.
On the morning of the 24th we threw some essential gear in our day packs (sunscreen, first-aid kits, sunglasses, brochures, etc.) and loaded onto the bus. From the church to the Smithsonian of Air and Space we played yet more Gaga off the bus's stereo and danced the whole way.
The Air and Space was incredible. Can't say a whole much more about it then that. I think the best part of air and space was seeing the original model of the Wright Brothers first airplane. I was speechless. The worlds first airplane.
Tehe... A short side story...
While exiting the Air and Space Museum, Ferg held the door for three teenage girls. I didn't understand why Luke decided to strike up a conversation with them at first... All I heard was...
"Um... Ver is the food court?"
"Oh! Inside. You need to wait in line though..." *Points at long line*
At this point, my curiosity got the better of me, so I walked up behind Luke and asked...
"Why are we taking so long to regroup... " ~ Jacob
"Jacob, they're French." ~ Luke
Then it dawned on me why he was talking to them in the first place... They were from Europe. All three of them were 17, and dressed somewhat... Hmm. How to put this... Frenchy? I don't know. But the conversation went on as follows:
"You have... Phone numba?" ~ French girl
*In unison* "Sorry... No..." Jacob and Ferg
A majority of the talking that went on was between the three girls. Mostly giggles and whispers in French while Ferg and I awkwardly stood there trying to look interesting (yeah, in our sweaty Class A's...). Then the one who was obviously the most talkative spoke up...
"You are hot!" ~ French girl
"Well yeah... It's 110 and I'm wearing a Class A..." ~ Ferg
*Looking confused* "No... You're HOT." *Points at me* "And you're hot too!" ~ French girl
I then whisper in Luke's ear,
"The two things they can say in English... 'You gotta phone number?' and 'You're hot.' Go figure..." ~ Jacob
The three French girls then said goodbye because their 'group' was entering the museum (?). When the talkative one was safe inside the museum, she blew Ferg a kiss. He turned scarlet.
Ferg and I then left with our group to tour some of the other museums. The rest of the day was a bit slower. We road the bus for about 45 minutes and maneuvered our way through the outrageous traffic to the Holocaust Museum. Which was interesting... But very depressing. That night we slept in the air-conditioned church again.
On our third day in D.C. (Sunday the 25th), my younger brother gave a sermon to our Troop at Arlington National Cemetery. He did a wonderful job too! Did you know that there are over 100,000 + men and women who faithfully served our country buried in Arlington? After walking amongst the graves, I felt very proud to be a citizen of America. It was a tad sobering.
Later that afternoon we re-filled our water bottles and headed out to tour the rest of the National Monuments. First on the list was the Lincoln Memorial! Here's a picture of our group...
I do believe we look a little more enthusiastic in this picture. Agreed?
Walking up the steps to the memorial was nerve-wracking ... I got knots in my stomach. I forgot all about the heat, just for a moment, as I reached the top of the stairs. The view from the top was breathtaking in the evening sun, and the memorial itself was even more astounding. Once again, I got that feeling of, "I've only seen pictures... But here I am."
Tehe, there's another story to be told that is similar to the French girl story... But I'll save you the time (if you haven't saved it yourself already by skipping to the end of this post).
Next on the list was the Veteran Memorials from World War II and Vietnam. After that we checked out the Jefferson Memorial, also VERY cool. The temperature dropped a few degrees that night (thankfully) and it made the view of all the memorials being lit up way more enjoyable.
Okay, IF (big "if" here...) you've read this far, you understand this is only the first four days of our trip. These days were probably the most exciting in my opinion. Sure there were some very exciting things that took place at the Jamboree, but I think D.C. really made the trip worthwhile.
On the morning of July 26th, we woke up at 6:00 A.M. in order to pack up and make the hour long drive over to Fort A.P. Hill by 8:00 A.M. The plan was to set everything up in just over an hour, but that plan didn't work out so well... Yes, we had a practice day back in May where we devoted an entire afternoon to learning how to set up our Jamboree campsite, but now that we were AT the Jamboree, setting up was a lot more difficult than we had originally anticipated. We hadn't factored in that the weather would be 110 degrees, so the ground was rock hard up to six inches below the dirt, which made pitching tents and the dining fly extremely difficult. Activities opened early on the 26th, but we were stuck in camp setting up until about 3:30.
While setting up camp, many scouts took short brakes to check out the bathrooms and showers they set up for us. When then returned to camp, all of the scouts gave reports that the lavatories were insufficient. I didn't believe this until I saw them for myself.
Oh my.
The Bathrooms consisted of two hallways. Each had a line of toilets and each had a line of urinals, directly across from one another. What made them unbearable was that they were all poorly made, the user of the stall had less then 3 square feet of room, and there was no door. The nearest port-a-john was 1/4 mile away. FAIL.
The showers consisted of two hallways. Each shower had less than 3 square feet of room (same as the bathroom), but fortunately, there was a thin layer of fabric that served as a door. To work the shower, one must hold the handle down the entire time. At least the water was hot... Not. While showering, one must hold the handle down the entire time to receive consistent 54 degree temperature water.
I couldn't believe it. When I returned to camp, I continued delegating and helping set up.
FINALLY, we were released. It wasn't until this time that I fully began to fathom the magnitude of the National Jamboree. 50,000 people wandering around is more than you think! The lines for the activities on the first day weren't bad, but as the week progressed, more and more visitors started coming, making everything appear to be like a gigantic carnival.
Yes it was crowded, yes it was hot, but I don't think I've ever had more fun in my entire life. There were hundreds of things to do, hundreds of people to meet, hundreds of things to trade/buy.
In the way of people I met, I think it's safe to say there was someone from every continent who attended this massive event. I met people from England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Australia, Egypt, Mexico, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Sweden, not to mention someone from every state in America.
In the way of things to DO at the Jamboree... It was mind boggling. 10 hours a day, everyday, was simply free time for us to do whatever we wanted. Patch trading (which was HUGE...), rock climbing, repelling, scuba diving, snorkeling, NESA, Mysterium Compass, Service area, bikathon, motocross, buckskin, technology quest, region shows, concerts, kayaking, canoing, mining, and a TON of other stuff.
I think most would agree that the best way to meet new people from different countries and states would be patch trading. Though some may view it as dorky or time-consuming to trade patches, it can actually be pretty fun. I was surprised by the color variety and intricate stitching in certain patches from other countries and states. Some of these patches are even going for exuberant prices on eBay. My brother and I have sets of patches that are being sold for between $50 and $200, no joke!
There were also certain patches that gained more popularity and net worth than other patches, such as "The Blues Brothers", "Star Wars", "Star Trek", "Halo", "California Orange County", "Garfield", "Stargate", "Avatar", and so many others.
I was astounded at how popular something so simple as patch trading could be. Scouts would wonder for miles (the army base was 10 miles in diameter) to get to other regions and subcamps in order to check out other scouts patches. Time-consuming, yes. Dorky, maybe. Fun, absolutely.
Halfway through the week, a light sprinkling began while Caleb, Justin, and I were walking to the Merit Badge Midway. We thought nothing of it, so we continued walking. 30 seconds later it started raining at a moderate pace, but we three boy scouts thought nothing of it, so we continued on. When it started pouring, we began jogging. When the pouring became potentially blinding and the lightning and thunder hit, we decided it was probably time to head back to camp... As in, sprint back to camp.
In the 2 minutes it took me to get back to our region, then site, I was COMPLETELY drenched. I jumped the chord separating our campsite from our neighbors and disregarded the buddy board. What I saw was scary. 30 of our scouts were attempting to hold down the dining flies while 40 mph winds were blowing. An even harder gust of wind split the metal poles in half that the scouts were holding on to. Tents were flying everywhere and people were rushing to secure them.
Books and tools were ruined, and the dining flies were beyond repair. We all pitched in and cleaned up the site. This was the lowest point of the week. But the next day helped make up for this unfortunate disaster.
ARENA SHOWS. If you read any of my blog post, read this part.
The first arena show was delayed from Wednesday to Thursday because of poor weather (*_*). On Thursday, July 29th, all 50,000 scouts dressed in full Class A uniforms. All of us marched to the area (a colossal open area of wood within the army base) and sat on the ground according to region (we were Central). Directly in front of us was a vertical screen 75 feet high with two smaller screens on its left and right. To our left and right were two speakers about 50 feet high.
It took about an hour for everyone to gather in and get their seats, and let me just say, it was amazing. I've never seen so many people in one place in my whole life! It was crowded! There was a countdown from 10 minutes to the beginning of the show. While the timer was ticking, a few celebrities from various tv shows spoke for a few minutes.
At 30 seconds everyone was counting down. When the timer reached zero, a man climbed to the top of the 75 foot screen and blew a very loud horn, signifying that the show had begun. Immediately, three fighter jets soared from above, ejecting colorful puffs of smoke from behind. Then, all of the speakers cracked on and there was an overpowering "HOORAH!" from the audience as modern rock blasted from the system. When the song ended, everyone cheered.
Miss America spoke, the National Order of the Arrow Chief spoke, the Governor of West Virginia spoke, and many other people spoke words of encouragement to the scouts. They also announced that Sarah Centeno, Honor Society, and Switchfoot would be playing at the closing arena show.
The Thursday show left us itching for more. Ferg and I hoped that Switchfoot would play "Meant to Live" as their opening song... If they didn't play it, we'd be UBER disappointed.
On Saturday morning, my friend Alex and I decided to try something.
While everyone else was busy at activities, we chose to check out the arena instead (while it was empty). There, we witnessed Sarah Centeno practicing the national anthem. She sounded alright... But in truth, she wasn't GREAT. She made a 2 minute song a whole minute longer. Anyway, Alex and I went down to the front row (it was crazy seeing the whole place without any people...) and took a seat.
At this point, Alex had a brilliant idea. He would ask one of the stage crew members if we could help out with anything! I didn't originally understand what good this would do, until he explained it.
"If we help with set up, this could potentially land us backstage access."
So I agreed, reluctantly. He asked the stage crew guy who looked in charge if there was anything we could to do help out... AND HE SAID YES! He told us we could set up the V.I.P. chairs that the celebrities and speakers would be sitting in! Which we did.
After we were finished, a tall man with a white mustache gave us a neat patch and told us to come with him. He then brought us (:D) backstage for an exclusive tour! We learned all the cool facts about who donated the equipment, where the sound system was and how it worked, the size facts about the stage and stereo systems, etc. THEN, we passed the tour buses. Mike Rowe and Switchfoot were INSIDE THOSE tour buses!
What happened next completely blew my mind. Switchfoot exited their bus and made their way to the stage for practice. Alex and I came within 5 feet of them! Of course, Alex thought he was pretty awesome for getting us backstage, and I now had to admit, I thought he was pretty awesome too.
On Saturday was the closing arena show. Same drill as the first show, only there were 100,000 people, so it took almost two hours to get situated from the time we left camp. The second show also started later t night, instead of early in the morning. It began virtually the same way the first one did, the horn, the jets, the loud music, but there was one twist we were expecting...
Sky divers.
The MC directed our attention to 7 sky divers falling to earth. When their shoots deployed, and crowd was awestruck as they maneuvered their way passed each other within just a few feet.
Next, the MC introduced the President of the United States, at which point, a livestream message of Barrack Obama came on the two side screens. An unfortunate sound filled the stadium as thousands upon thousands of people "boo-ed."
No, it was not very respectful, but everyone had a good reason to be disappointed. Over the past 100 years, every President has cleared his schedule to make a personal appearance at the National Scout Jamboree. Barrack Obama is the first President however, to ignore this tradition. It was very disappointing that he should reject us on the most important scout celebration of the century. Here's a link to the livestream video that showed up on the side screens at the show...
We later found out that the reason President Obama couldn't spend the evening with us, was because he scheduled an interview with Barbra Walters on "The View" that same day (which doesn't make sense because "The View" is a morning show). Couldn't he make an appearance for 2 minutes? I guess not.
The remainder of the show consisted of speeches from numerous important scouting people, a few television celebrities (including Mike Rowe!), and performances from Sarah Centeno, Honor Society, and Switchfoot.
Switchfoot came on at about 10:00. Ferg and I were pumped as pumped can be. And well... Here's a link to a YouTube video when they first came on stage. The opened with "Meant to Live." :D
They were the highlight of the evening, by far.
Thankfully, Justin Bieber bailed on us! YIPPEE! :D Though I'm thinking it may very well have been a big rumor instead of fact...
All 44 of us got to bed at around 12:00 A.M. or 1:00 A.M., which left us with only 6 hours of sleep before the next day.
Sunday, August 1st was a slower day. There were religious services available for practically every religion, followed by the opening of activities at Noon.
Monday and Tuesday were spent trying to earn merit badges. Caleb and I earned a total of three, Public Health, Soil and Water Conservation, and Medicine. Earning Soil and Water Conservation helped us to ultimately earn a more prestigious patch, the "World Conservation Award." I'd been trying to earn this since the first year I joined scouting, so it was a big personal accomplishment for myself that I earned it at the Jamboree.
Tuesday night we packed up all of our gear (with the exception of our tents) in preparation for departure the following morning. That night, it rained, hard (again). At 3:00 A.M., our scoutmaster was seriously considering letting the scouts from next door bunk with us. Fortunately, they found shelter during the storm... In the trading post.
On Wednesday, August 4th, we were some of the first people to depart from the army base.
The 2 hour drive from Fort A.P. Hill to ACE Adventures was extremely comfortable. After a week and a half in the sweltering hot, it was beyond relieving to sit in an air conditioned bus luxury bus.
When we arrived at ACE, we sprinted with all of our gear (uphill) and dumped it in the cabins. Next we ran back down the hill to the cafeteria for dinner. After dinner we trudged back up the hill to our cabins and prepared for bed.
Thursday, August 5th was white water rafting day. We woke up, packed up all of our gear, and got dressed for the rapids. Our group was lectured on a few things, and then they gave us our #5 life vests, helmets, and paddles.
Our group consisted of 8 people, Derek, Justin, Luke, Alex, Mitchel, Matt, Marshall, and Me (plus the instructor). Only a few of us had never been wwr before... It was a little scary. When your instructor tells you... "If you fall out of the boat, swim to the left, because if you swim to the right, you'll encounter the 'Meat Grinder', which WILL do to you EXACTLY as it sounds" you can't help but feel a little intimidated.
"WE'RE ABOUT TO PASS BY TWO ROCKS WE LIKE TO CALL TOMBSTONE AND COFFIN!"
Overall, it was a blast. I love danger.
Later that evening (after 5 hours of rafting), we swam in the lake for a while. A nice time to cool of and relax after a rather intense day. Someone recorded a video of us rafting, but we haven't gotten it in the mail yet... Once we do, I'll upload it onto here.
That night, we loaded onto the bus one last time.
It was easy to sleep through the night after a full day of adventures... Soon enough, we arrived back in the parking lot of the Lansing Meijer. We piled out and grudgingly entered the Meijer at 6:00 A.M. to use the bathrooms.
Our parents arrived at 7:00 A.M. to pick us up.
We said our goodbyes to each other and also thanked the adults for all they did in order to make the trip a success. It was hard to believe, that as long as we waited for it to be here, it was over. The trip of a lifetime. Over the course of the two weeks, I learned a lot, laughed a lot, and enjoyed so many opportunities. It was undeniably an experience that I shall carry with me from now, until the day I die.
Hahaha, and that's it! Though extremely long and extremely detailed, just know, it could've been longer. I'm doubting that even a quarter of my followers read this entire post, but that's alright, I suppose this was more for me. Although I'm still leaving out a number of inside jokes and stories (lol...), I feel much better having written out the most important of the details. Years from now, when I want to take a stroll down memory lane, I'll sign on and read this post. :)
Thank you for enduring,
~Jacob
