Today, our campers learned something that no classroom can teach: what it feels like to trust yourself.
Camper’s Choice Day is one of my favorite days of the week because it is a masterclass in life skills disguised as pure fun. When campers get to decide how they’ll spend their time, which activities they want to pursue, and who they want to be with — they’re not just planning a good day. They’re practicing prioritization. They’re making decisions. They’re learning to listen to themselves and trust what they hear.
Today was a beautiful mix of the people, the passions and the curiosity of their hearts and minds.
Last night campers signed up for activities and made a choice. Then another choice. Then another. And with each decision they gained a little more confidence, a little more certainty, a clearer sense of who they are and what matters to them. That is the gift of choice. Not just freedom, but the chance to practice claiming it. To choose your own destiny and own that choice completely.
And here’s what was even more beautiful: campers didn’t just deepen the friendships they already had. They found new ones. Because when you’re doing something you genuinely love — whether it’s archery or tie-dye or sitting by the lake — you naturally connect with other people who love the same things. Cabins were separated today by choice, and yet friendships were strengthened and new bonds were formed across the entire camp. That’s the magic of letting kids lead with their hearts.
This morning at Reflect at the Rock we gathered for a message that truly embodied our entire day. Carolina spoke to us about friendship — and she started with something we can all relate to. The best foods we love have a perfect recipe. The exact right ingredients, in the exact right amounts, come together to make something wonderful.
And then she said: friendship has a perfect recipe too.
Equal parts love, forgiveness, compassion, kindness, laughter, joy, and patience.
And the beautiful thing is, the ingredients of friendship aren’t just ingredients we talk about at camp. They are things we live here every single day. Every time a camper makes room for someone at lunch. Every time a cabin forgives a misstep and starts fresh. Every time someone laughs with a friend instead of at them. The recipe is always being made on this mountain. I looked around at our camp family today and thought — yes. Camper’s Choice has a perfect recipe too… equal parts favorite activities, favorite people, favorite place.
Tonight, we brought the theme of friendship and choice full circle with one of my very favorite evening programs: Cabin Night.
After a day where the cabin unit was scattered — each camper choosing their own path, their own people, their own adventure — we needed to bring everyone back together. And that’s exactly what Cabin Night does. Each cabin gets to decide exactly how they want to spend their evening. No competition, no all-camp plan, no performance. Just the cabin, together, doing whatever they choose.
The choices tonight were endless. Some cabins chose the spa experience — face masks, cucumbers on the eyes, pure relaxation. Others opted for a drive in movie. We had late night swimmers in the pool, laser tag wars, karaoke, puppy chow-making in the Kamper Kitchen, ultimate frisbee games, World Cup watching and so much more. Some cabins chose quiet and cozy, while others chose action and adventure.
All of it was right. All of it was perfect.
The whole point of Cabin Night is that whatever your cabin chose, you chose it together — and you spent the evening exactly the way you wanted to. After a day of individual choice, you came back to your people and made a choice as a unit to make a memory.
I know that many camper’s heads hit the bed full of joy tonight — replaying the day, smiling at the memories, already looking forward to tomorrow. That is the goal of a day like this. Not the biggest adventure or the most impressive activity. Just a day that was entirely, joyfully theirs. Carolina said it best this morning — friendship has a recipe. And after today, I think we perfected it!
Favorite Details of the Day
- Reflect at the Rock: Carolina shared a beautiful message about friendship — a message that stayed with us all day.
- Weather: We enjoyed another sunny, beautiful day on Old Forge Mountain.
- Meals: Breakfast was waffles, scrambled eggs, sausage links, fresh fruit, yogurt, and granola bars. Lunch was walking tacos (frito bags, ground turkey, and all the taco fixings…yes we eat out of the bag, this is camp!) with the salad and sandwich bar. Dinner was grilled chicken, baked potatoes, green beans, and rolls with the salad and sandwich bar — and Nestlé Crunch ice cream bars for dessert!
- Evening Program: Cabin Night — spa nights, drive-in movies, night swimming, laser tag, karaoke, puppy chow, ultimate frisbee, board games, watching world cup, basketball, poker and so much more. Every cabin chose their own perfect evening!
About Melissa Fitzgerald
