Its Tuesday July 20th; the day before the camp. Melanie and I arrived just landed out at Portland International Airport (PDX). The camp will be held at Camp Wilkerson in the mountains of Oregon. We decided to arrive a day early to adjust to the different time zone and get settled in. After my first Muay Thai camp experience, I decided that we would stay at a hotel. The last camp was extremely crowded! There were only a few toilets and even fewer shower stalls to accommodate over a 150 sweaty, smelly, campers with super fast metabolisms. Facility shortages often meant at least an hour wait before you could shower. If you were the first two or three lucky campers to get to the showers you could help yourself to luke warm water while the other poor saps were forced to take ice cold showers.
I remembered this experience all too well. To top everything off, I found myself spending each night sleeping in a rental car. It turns out that my tent, which was supposed to fit 6 people, was actually built to fit about 1 and a quarter person(s). The box was also missing a few essential assembly items. After several frustrating hours of fumbling with the ridiculous contraption, my training partner for the camp and now Thai Boxing Instructor at BETA Academy, Masai McDougall, decided it would be easier to just sleep in the car. I'm anticipating a grueling 5 days guaranteed to test the body. No need to make it a more stressful situation so Melanie and I are definitely staying at a hotel.
Unfortunately the closest hotel, Best Western, is 45 minutes from the camp in Kelso, Washington. Since we would have to make the long commute everyday we arranged for a rental car (By the way, I have no intention of sleeping in this car). Luckily for us, we are fortunate enough to share the cost of the vehicle with another couple that will also be attending the camp. Ervin and Eloy own Impact Martial Arts in Virginia Beach, Virginia. We got their information through a mutual friend, Kru Allison Link and met up with them today at the airport. I think we are really going to get along.
After chatting over a quick bite to eat at a rotary sushi bar, it turns out that I actually met Ervin many years back. He used to teach Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts at the Linxx Academy in Virginia Beach. I believe I met him when I took my TBA Apprentice Instructor test. Small world!
Turning in early and getting ready for the Day 1 of Muay Thai Camp.
-Khun Kru Nakapan Phungephorn
www.betaacademy.com
www.betamartialarts.com
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