We Love to Laugh

At Camp Highlander, there’s one thing we can never get enough of: LAUGHTER. We love to laugh! It’s not just the sound of happiness — it’s the soundtrack of summer, of friendship, connection, and feeling right at home.

After five days together, something special happens in our cabin groups. The walls come down. The shyness melts away. The kids who were once strangers turn into a crew of friends who share inside jokes, goofy stories, and the kind of laughter that makes your stomach hurt in the best way possible.

You hear it in the dining hall during meals, as cabins walk to activities, in the cabin during cabin clean up and even at campfire, when everyone tries (and fails) to stay serious during Taps.

Laughter is the currency of friendship at camp. It’s how we say “I see you. I like you. You belong here.” It breaks the ice and builds trust. It tells everyone in the group that it’s okay to be silly, to be real, to let your guard down. It turns a cabin full of kids into a family.

I am so grateful that we have awesome counselors who know the power of laughter, too. They lean into the silly and unexpected, making camp memorable and fun. They’ll make up ridiculous games, crack jokes, or gladly embarrass themselves at Talent Show just to make their campers laugh. They know that laughter isn’t just fun — it’s essential. It helps campers feel safe, connected, and confident enough to try new things.

Laughter was EVERYWHERE today at Camp. From Reflect at the Rock to cabin clean up to cookout on the field to lights out, laughter filled not only our day, but our hearts. Years from now we won’t remember every detail of the day, the exact joke that made us almost spit out our lunch or the hilarious acts at the talent show tonight, but we will never forget how much WE LOVE TO LAUGH at Camp Highlander.

Favorite Details of The Day

• Reflect at the Rock: Matthew, our Wilderness Division Head, spoke to us about the power of unity in friendship and within our cabins. He shared an illustration that reminded us how, when a cabin comes together around a common goal — whether it’s tackling an activity or preparing an act for the talent show — campers learn meaningful life lessons like teamwork, compromise, generosity, and selflessness. Coming together as a cabin doesn’t just build character; it makes the camp experience richer, more rewarding, and above all, more fun.
• Weather: Session B weather is AMAZING! Sunshine and a gentle breeze serenaded us all day today at camp. I love summer in the mountains of North Carolina!!
• Meals: For breakfast we had bagels and cream cheese, scrambled eggs, sausage patties, grits, oatmeal and a fresh fruit bar. For lunch we had chicken quesadillas. Chips and salsa, Miss Monica’s delicious homemade guacamole, salad bar and a sandwich bar. Dinner was Cookout on the field - everyone’s favorite dinner tradition! Hot dogs, hamburgers, pasta salad, chips, cold watermelon and chocolate chip cookies. While Bryan’s burgers are delicious, the BEST part about Cookout is the relaxed, laid-back environment for great conversation, throwing a frisbee and of course…laughter.
• EP: Tonight’s evening program was the Talent Show! For the first time ever, we had our talent show on the assembly court and it was fantastic. The weather was incredible, and under the bright lights our campers truly shined on stage. We have everything from magic tricks, to choreographed dances, to tumbling routines, comedians, mimes, solo vocalists, instrumental numbers and even synchronized swimming from our camp moms. I am so proud of the courage and humor that each camper showed tonight. My favorite part of the talent show is always the crowd who cheers, claps and encourages our brave and talented campers on stage. It was truly a magical night!