There is something that happens on the first full day of a new session that I never get tired of watching. Just yesterday Camp Highlander was brand new but today something starts to feel familiar. The schedule starts to click. The bell that startled you the first time you heard it brings cheers for the yummy food waiting for you inside. The cabinmate whose name you couldn’t remember last night becomes the person you are laughing and playing with at free time. And all of a sudden, without anyone announcing it, camp life begins.
CAMP LIFE was in full force today! It was our first full day of activity periods and off-camp trips. From rafting the Nantahala to trail riding in Pisgah and back to the Kamper Kitchen, everywhere I turned there were smiling faces as campers tried new things, embraced adventure and faced their fears. I heard laughter echoing through the art bays under the gym, and the screams of joy from the blob and the zipline, all bringing a huge smile of satisfaction to my face. These are the magical moments of summer camp!
Cabins moved through their activity schedules with that wonderful first-time energy — curious, a little competitive, hesitant to step outside their comfort zone, and discovering what they love. Though this was not the first time doing these activities for our returning campers, this was the first time doing them with this group of campers and these counselors. That made today a new adventure for everyone. We say at Camp Highlander, “it is not what you are doing that matters, but who you are doing it with.” It’s your cabin group, friends and counselors who make the experience magical and unforgettable. And today was unforgettable!
Here is what I love most about a day like today: you can actually watch a group of campers become a cabin.
Day one, everyone is polite and a little careful with each other — figuring out the unwritten rules, learning who laughs at what, finding where they fit. But by the end of a first full day of doing things together — paddling a raft, hiking a trail, laughing so hard milk comes out of your nose at breakfast (true story) — something shifts. The politeness becomes comfort. The careful becomes easy. And that cabin, which was ten or twelve strangers just yesterday, starts to move through camp like a unit.
I was overwhelmed by the gift of friendship that was so alive in camp today. I am so grateful for how well our cabin groups are getting along and working together. I am incredibly grateful to our kind, loving and patient counselors who have made it their top priority to foster friendships and create memories for their campers. Every staff member I checked in with today said the same thing, “I love my cabin. These campers are amazing!” And I have to agree…we love your children! Thank you for sharing them with us!
Favorite Details of The Day
- Reflect at the Rock: This morning at Reflect I talked to our campers about choosing your attitude. Charles Swindoll says that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. We all have a choice in how we choose to act and react, and those choices impact our happiness. True happiness is not dependent on what is happening around you. It is a choice you make regardless of what is happening.
- Weather: We were blessed with a beautiful, sunny day on Old Forge.
- Meals: For breakfast we had french toast sticks, scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, yogurt and granola. Lunch was roast beef po-boys with tater tots and a salad bar. Dinner was chicken fajitas, black beans, rice, queso, chips and homemade guacamole. It was fantastic. For dessert we had cinnamon and sugar churros. They are so good. Our kitchen staff are so thoughtful this year, that they are even making gluten free/dairy free homemade churros for our campers and staff with dietary restrictions. Amazing!!
- Evening Program: Tonight’s EP was Cabin Challenge. I love an EP that has costumes and seeing the creativity come alive. There was a solar system cabin with alien counselors, a cabin full of crayons, cowboy bandits, a Pac Man cabin, a Willy Wonka cabin, the beach boys and the CIT girls were different Starbucks drink flavors. They all looked so cute! Each cabin challenged two other cabins in a variety of games from musical ice buckets, jousting, bucket pants, Human Wordle, Extreme Tetherball and more. In the finale, Cabin 17 and Cabin 34 battled balancing ping pong balls on paddles. Cabin 34 took home the EP trophy winning tonight’s Cabin Challenge!
About Melissa Fitzgerald
