kayaking and camping on the Loire

On Monday morning, all the group members and their host siblings all came together for a camping trip on the Loire. We kayaked all day in canoes, splashing each other and tipping over boats. When we arrived at the campsite, the night was filled with laughter and games. We had a rap war--girls against boys. It got a little crazy and a tired old man came and got mad at us for being loud. But it was still pretty sweet... Us crazy teenagers talked well into the night. I hardly slept at all. Plus, it rained :[ so in the morning i was soaking wet and feeling gross, but still pushed through another day of kayaking, but without the swimming part because it was super cold. And after lunch we made a fire and cooked s'mores together! It was Rafael's first camping/s'more experience. I'm so proud! ^_^ Even though i pretty much hate camping, it was really fun and I'm glad we had that bonding experience together. I was super careful with my sunscreening, and hardly got burned at all :) I wish I had pictures of the trip but I was too scared to bring my camera along on the water....  The most important thing is that it was a wonderful memory I'll keep with me for forever. EIL is amazing.