TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Hi. I'm Maria. And yes, I really do look like that when I'm sleeping. [Laughs]

A typical day at Sly Park starts at 7 a.m. That's wake-up call.

Want to sleep in? Forget it: way too much fun ahead.

The first thing I do each day is say hi to my best friend Jasmine. She's also my Sly Park partner. More about that in a sec.

One of the coolest things about Sly Park is the cabin. We sleep in these awesome wooden bunk beds and forest is right outside, all around us! Very cool. The cabins are heated, so in my sleeping bag, I'm toasty warm all night long.

The first thing I do each morning is take a shower. I brought my flip-flops, towel, soap, and shampoo. Don't worry: you'll have privacy. The showers are all in separate stalls and have curtains.

Next, I figure out what to wear for the day. Something dressy? No. Beach wear? Definitely not. One word, people: layers! The weather here can be crazy and the temperature changes. Sly Park is usually 10 degrees colder than Sacramento (or wherever you're coming from). So, wear layers you can take off during the day.

Here's what I brought with me: plenty of socks and underwear, a warm coat, a hat, a raincoat. Prepare for anything...even snow! A complete list is in your Sly Park handbook.

Before you come to Sly Park, check out the weather for the time you're here. Watch your local TV station or The Weather Channel with your parents, or look up weather on the Web for Pollock Pines, CA.

At 7:30, everybody goes to breakfast. [Stomach growls...] The food's great and there's plenty of it. After everybody's had firsts, I go back for seconds...sometimes thirds! If you have special food needs (maybe you're a vegetarian or eat only chocolate covered ants), your parents should call Sly Park's head cook ahead of time. Sly Park will make sure you have tasty food just like the other kids.

Next, we go back to our cabin and clean up. Although we're not at home, we still have to keep our rooms clean. That's because we're all living together. Who wants a messy cabin, anyway?

Look what I found: somebody lost a camera. Make sure you put your name on everything your bring (especially stuff you might take off or leave lying around). Coats, sweatshirts, water bottles, flashlights, hats, inhalers: if you're not wearing it all the time, write your name on it.

Our first activity today is a hike. I put on my hiking boots, an extra layer, and my hat, then fill up my water bottle. I've got asthma, so I bring my inhaler, too. It's a good idea to bring a backback to Sly Park to carry your stuff. I put my inhaler and water bottle inside mine...and look, ma: no hands!

All the girls in my cabin are really cool. Jasmine is my best friend; so, back at my regular school, our teacher made us partners for Sly Park. Whenever you go anywhere at Sly Park, you should be with your partner; it's the best way to make sure everyone's accounted for.

What about the other kids in your cabin? Some will be from your school and some from other schools. It's a great way to make new friends and learn cooperation. Here are my cabin leaders. They make sure everybody is taken good care of during our visit. Before the hike, we meet at Stone Circle. It's a Sly Park tradition that has gone on for years. Since Sly Park is actually a school, the principal will tell you about any special events happening during the day. You'll also get a weather report.

The mornings are always a blast. There are so many cool hikes and other things to do. There's the park creek hike where we pan for gold and do face painting, the lake hike where you can get in the water if it's warm enough, shelter building, and even study little critters called invertibrates.

While you're here, you'll have a new teacher: a special outdoor teacher from Sly Park. They're really incredible teachers and know everything about the outdoors: birds, trees, animals, bugs...

You might be asking yourself, "What if it rains or snows?" Hey: it's an outdoor school, remember? You'll hike in any weather. Trust me: hiking in rain and snow is even more fun, and you can always warm up back in your cabin! Then, you'll have some time before lunch to hang around your cabin or play basketball and ping pong. Hey look: I made another friend!

Lunch time! Another adventure is to help with meals. Some kids serve and others clean up afterwards. It's rewarding to help out and make a difference, but not everybody gets to do this. If you're lucky, you'll get dining hall duty once during the week you're here.

Then, we go back to our cabin and practice our song for "song night" or a skit for "skit night." If you've never done this before, it's awesome. Everybody has good ideas to share and participates. Wait and see what happens when we do it before a live audience!

In the afternoon, there's even more ways to make learning fun. Geez...there's just so much to do here! The animal room, a planetarium, the climbing wall, the Native American Center...even more hiking! You'll silkscreen your own t-shirt or sweatshirt, so remember to bring one. It tells everyone you were here!

Before dinner (yes, more food), you'll get another chance to hang out or play games. Another choice is to visit the birds in the aviary. There's a live hawk, vulture, and crow. Ummm...dinner. Did I mention the desserts are yummy?

Most kids are having such a great time, they barely think about life back home. Here I am getting a letter or an e-mail from my parents. Can you call them on the phone? If there's an emergency, sure, no problem...it's okay to call. But part of the Sly Park experience is learning independence. You'll learn so many new things here. That's just one of them.

One thing you can definitely do is write them the old fashioned way. I'm writing my mom to tell her about all the fun, educational things I've been doing so far. I'm telling her that I don't miss the TV, or video games, or any of the other things I can't bring to Sly Park anyway (like cell phones or my iPod). There's no time to miss any of that stuff; I'm too busy having fun! Oh yeah, no candy, gum, or other food, either. I came prepared with a pre-addressed envelope so I can send a letter home.

Day's over, right? Wrong. Now I get dressed warmly for nighttime activities. Then, we meet with our teacher from school at home. Yep, she's here, too. It's cool seeing her here more relaxed and it feels good knowing she's around around if I need her...uh, which of course, I don't! She gives me the Sly Park water bottle and the special Sly Park t-shirt I ordered back at school.

In the evening, you're just as busy as during the day. Here's the song we practiced earlier. See what I mean? It's so much fun!

Besides song and skit nights, there's also tug-o-war, relay races, nature games, and (my personal favorite) evening hike. Time for bed, right? Not so fast. Some things are just starting. First, it's back to the dining hall for a delicious snack. And, if you have any special medication, this is when you'll get it. By the way, you can't keep any medication yourself except for inhalers or a bee sting kit.

Look up! You may have seen stars before; but, up here, it's a totally different experience. Away from the pollution and the lights of the city, you can see them so much better. And with the telescopes, you get up close and personal.

Now, it's bed time. It's just like at home. Get yourself ready for bed...quietly, because you'll earn points for your cabin. Your cabin leader might read you a story. Then, it's lights out at 9:30 sharp. And let me tell you: you'll never sleep better than after a busy day at Sly Park.

My older sister came to Sly Park and said it was the best week she ever spent at school. Why? Because you learn so much about the outdoors and about yourself! It's still a school — I mean, there are teachers and rules and stuff — but a very special school. I can't wait for another day to begin!

If you want to know more, see the question and answer section of this DVD or the paper Sly Park handbook you'll get from your teacher.

(Video produced by Swing Media.)