I have always considered myself an adventurer. Growing up, I’d always be climbing trees, building forts, going on long bike rides, and embarking on numerous “quests” with my brother. But, some of my favorite adventures occurred at sleep-away Girl Scout Camp. Each summer giving rise to numerous new experiences, new skills learned, and new friends made.
When I was ten years old, I attended a camp session at Camp Bonnie Brae that took us off the main camp property and into the depths of the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail is a hiking trail that stretches approximately 2,200 miles between Maine and Georgia. Sadly, the camp didn’t have the time or resources to look after us for months on the trail, so we were to spend only three days on …show more content…
Everyone else on camp had been in each other’s company for the last several days, and knew each other very well. I knew no one. In the time leading up to our trip, my group had been so preoccupied by preparations, that we didn’t actually do stuff at camp, or interact with other people. Now, as the only one back from the Appalachian trail, I was left to acclimate to it on my own. The first step was housing. Before departure, my group was housed in rustic cabins with bunkbeds and screen windows. I didn’t have that option anymore. Instead, I was moved into a unit of platform tent – each tent containing five creaky beds, four strangers, and numerous spiders. But, the fun didn’t stop there. Shortly after my arrival, it was time for my foster group to head to the lake for free swim. With our preparations for the Appalachian Trail, my original group didn’t have the opportunity to have our swimming abilities evaluated, determining how far into the lake we could swim. So, without the permission to enter deep water, I just sat alone on the …show more content…
During that time, the person without a buddy would latch onto someone’s are, causing their original buddy to then become “it”. Whomever didn’t have a buddy at 100 started the next round. The game in itself was quite pointless, but it brought us all together in happy cheer. When someone was “it”, and we were still singing, they’d skip happily around the circle, or move like an animal until they reached a buddy pair to latch onto. It was this game that brought me closer to my foster group, the other campers, and made me overall feel more comfortable being back. From there, we competed in trivia games, relay races, and fire building. The day was concluded with a delicious dinner, gutter sundaes, and a perfect view of the illegal show of fireworks being displayed across the lake – A perfect end to an otherwise very imperfect
When I was ten years old, I attended a camp session at Camp Bonnie Brae that took us off the main camp property and into the depths of the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail is a hiking trail that stretches approximately 2,200 miles between Maine and Georgia. Sadly, the camp didn’t have the time or resources to look after us for months on the trail, so we were to spend only three days on …show more content…
Everyone else on camp had been in each other’s company for the last several days, and knew each other very well. I knew no one. In the time leading up to our trip, my group had been so preoccupied by preparations, that we didn’t actually do stuff at camp, or interact with other people. Now, as the only one back from the Appalachian trail, I was left to acclimate to it on my own. The first step was housing. Before departure, my group was housed in rustic cabins with bunkbeds and screen windows. I didn’t have that option anymore. Instead, I was moved into a unit of platform tent – each tent containing five creaky beds, four strangers, and numerous spiders. But, the fun didn’t stop there. Shortly after my arrival, it was time for my foster group to head to the lake for free swim. With our preparations for the Appalachian Trail, my original group didn’t have the opportunity to have our swimming abilities evaluated, determining how far into the lake we could swim. So, without the permission to enter deep water, I just sat alone on the …show more content…
During that time, the person without a buddy would latch onto someone’s are, causing their original buddy to then become “it”. Whomever didn’t have a buddy at 100 started the next round. The game in itself was quite pointless, but it brought us all together in happy cheer. When someone was “it”, and we were still singing, they’d skip happily around the circle, or move like an animal until they reached a buddy pair to latch onto. It was this game that brought me closer to my foster group, the other campers, and made me overall feel more comfortable being back. From there, we competed in trivia games, relay races, and fire building. The day was concluded with a delicious dinner, gutter sundaes, and a perfect view of the illegal show of fireworks being displayed across the lake – A perfect end to an otherwise very imperfect