Change Happens

The theme this year for PACAA is "Change Happens". I have always been bothered by change, as most people are, I think. When things don't change, we get comfortable and stop thinking, "What if this changed, would it be better?" We generally don't change things in order for things to get worse, of course. However, I have come to learn that change is necessary in our lives... even if it is sometimes for the worse. Or, sometimes things change (or we change them) and even though it is hard beyond belief at first, we know that it is for the best in the end, and slowly, the hardness dissipates and melts into a new "way" that gets easier with each breath.

Sometimes I wonder whether it is worth it to have the amazing things in life, if you know that you will not always have them. Is it worth it to spend one fantastic summer working somewhere with people who have become some of your best friends, doing something that you absolutely loved, if every consecutive summer since, you ache to be there?

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I'm getting really excited for PACAA. It's hard to believe that this is my 9th PACAA... my 4th on Staff. While looking through old photos that I scanned awhile back, I found this little gem:

This is me at my 2nd PACAA - I was only 14, and so tiny!!

I also really like this photo:

This was the end of PACAA at my first one on Jr. Staff (2005). We are sitting in the Jr. Staff circle...I'm on the left, Rachel is in the middle, and Meaghan is on the end. I don't know why we look so nervous- we had already made Jr. Staff, and still had another year on it.

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This was the next year. PACAA 40 - my last PACAA on Jr. Staff. When we leave Jr. Staff, we call up a new member, and let them take our spot in the circle. I was lucky enough to have my sister, Kelsey, make it the year I was leaving Jr. Staff (you can only be on it for 2 years). So, I was able to call her name.

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So sorry to have dragged you down memory lane with me!