We had a fantastic Opening Day for Session B! Due to some logistical needs, I found myself at the front gate this Opening Day when usually I am at the gym…and I LOVED IT! I loved watching each car pull up to the gate with anticipation and expectation of all that this session would hold. With each new family I greeted, I found myself getting more and more excited about the two weeks we get to share with your precious children. Someone asked me, “Are you tired yet?” In all honesty I responded, “Yesterday I was…but today..I am pumped!!” And it is the absolute truth…as each car pulled up to the gate today, my energy was renewed and my gratitude grew! I am in awe of the privilege we have to serve your family by loving your children. What a gift! Thank you!
As I watched the expressions on the faces of each and every parent and child as they pulled up to camp, I saw a wide array of emotions…joy, fear, confidence, doubt, excitement, nervousness, happiness, worry, awe and jubilee. I saw tears behind big sunglasses from mamas who knew they were making the best decision for their child, but couldn’t bear the heartache of watching them go. I heard campers as they talked of their excitement for all that was to come, while honestly admitting their nervousness about the unknown (though I reassured them those nerves would quickly fade away.) I saw campers who were practically jumping out of the window because they couldn’t wait to get into camp and embrace the independence and fun they had been waiting for.
Today at the gate, I gained a new perspective about why Camp Highlander is “A Place Like No Other!” You see, at the gate I got to see the coming and the going of our parents. While I saw the nerves and fear upon arrival, I saw the joy and confidence upon departure. I saw the smiles of the parents who met their child’s counselors, witnessed their children run wholeheartedly through the tunnel and knew it was going to be ok. I heard the praises from parents about “how great” their child’s counselor was when they met them. I heard the gratitude and thanks of parents who arrived feeling anxious and left with peace. I felt the overwhelming gratitude from parents who wholeheartedly know how much we love your children and are dedicated to their well-being over the next two weeks! This was so wonderful to witness, and I want to thank you for trusting us and supporting us in this amazing journey we call camp! We have an amazing staff this summer, and they are the ones who make camp “A Place Like No Other’…a place where you are loved and accepted…a place where you belong and feel included…a place where you are seen and valued…a place where you can fail, grow, learn and thrive.
Our amazing staff jumped feet first today into camp with your children and we had a blast. We are honored to share the gift of camp with each and every of your children over the next two weeks, and we look forward to giving you a window into our world through this blog. So stay tuned because the fun has just begun!
Favorite Details of the Day
- Weather: The weather was absolutely perfect today, which many of you noted when you dropped your children off this morning. There was a delightful cool breeze in the air this morning, but the sun warmed up the mountain this afternoon! It was a beautiful day on Old Forge, and we are grateful for the sunshine!
- Meals: Our opening day lunch was a Highlander tradition…grilled cheese and tomato soup.This year we are also serving grilled ham and cheese, and of course we had our full salad and sandwich bar open. For dinner we had pot roast with potatoes, onions and carrots and warm rolls with our salad bar.. As dinner was ending, the disco ball went off which means we are dancing or we have dessert…tonight we had both. The dining hall went crazy when they saw that it was the world famous Highlander Mudslide!
- EP: To start our session, we enjoyed one of Highlander’s oldest camp traditions for EP…campfire. We gathered around as a family and sang some of our favorite camp songs, danced our hearts out and enjoyed the company of our new camp friends.
About Melissa Fitzgerald
