Differences -Sarah Eadie

coming back to keeners for third session has made me realise that
having real roommates can change the whole experience on and off the
water. During first session i had to face the struggle of being the
only girl. I can honestly say that being this predicament did have its
perks but also a downside. In and outside of school I prefer being
around my close circle of friends who just happen to be girls. Its not
that i have a problem with guys, Im simply use to socializing and
being myself around more relatable people.first seesion was hard and
quite lonely... not that my fellow keeners werent amazing people, but
living in Yakistan alone, preparing meals alone, cleaning alone and
for the most part doing alot of off water stuff alone wasnt actually
that entertaining.

This session there are 6 girls, me being one of them. For the longest
time II was actually quite nervous about whether we would get along or
not . I arrived a week into the session so this added to the thought
of '' what if I show up, and the girls are already so close, that im
unable to join the group properly without being the "weirdo" or the
odd one out?." I of course over thought the situation in my head and
was nervous for no reason. The girls I now share yakistan with, i can
say are true friends. Even tough we havent known each other that long
I feel a strong bond with these amazing individuals. Rose, is a sweet,
talented, friendly face who when boredom seized us at WT made my leg
into a beautiful couloured masterpiece. Sabina is quirky, has
incredible athletic abilities and joins in my weirdness to the point
where we choke and nearly die from laughter. Angela is a crazy young
girl, coming all the way from peru who in her own strange ways makes
us all laugh. Amanda is an awesome paddler who tough seems shy, is
definitely a great person to talk too. Finally, theres Savannah... shes
down to earth in more ways then one, i love her energy and enthusiasm
as well as her confidence. I'll also add that shes a huge flirt ( even
tough she dosent realise it half the time). ;).. To summarize; these
friendships are the kind that are made in weeks but last a lifetime.

So what are the differences of having other girls around? well; for
instance, the house is a whole lot messier and we really need to work
as a team to do chores.We have to share the washrooms, limit our
shower times, make breakfast at the same time without getting in
someones way and stay away from each others wal- mart purchases. There
really needs to be compatibility between everyone so that no one gets
annoyed with each other. Another thing to add is the langusage barrier
between the gitrls and Angela. When I first arrived I found it so hard
to communicate with her ( having no idea how to speak spanish), but
with the use of google translate and savannahs weird hand gestures, we
have covered ground when it comes to making her understand what we're
trying to say. Many people would probably think its a pain to try and
have a full out conversation in neither english or spanish but we in
yakistan see it as a challenge and an oppurtunity. To top it all off,
we have alot of fun times on and off the water as a group and having
other girls with me just makes these experiences all the better.

To shine an even brighter light on all the differences, I want to add
that emotionally its easier to get through things with friends at your
side.I trust these girls, they are easy to talk to and confide in, I
hope that we dont get fed up with each other by the end of the week
and that we can become an even closer knitted group.

As sabina would say " Aah les bonnes memoires!".