Category: Campers say the darndest things!

Tamarack: Alien Invasion

You Know You Love Camp When:

• You smile and laugh with your friends.
• Everybody knows all the names of campers and staff.
• You make lasting memories.
• We are in our activities.
• You cry when it is over.

Tamarack: Banquet Night

You Know You Love Camp When:

• You can’t stop laughing.
• Everyone huddles up and cries together when camp is over.
• You think about all of the memories and smiles.
• Counselors are always helping us.
• You are still coming back to camp 10 years later.

Tamarack: Silly Sunday

You Know You Love Camp When:

• You wait all year for camp to start again.
• You call your camp friends, sisters.
• You make new friends.
• You come back and it feels like you never left.
• You learn new skills like getting up on the wakeboard.

Tamarack: Gold Rush Day

Treetops showing their Woodland Spirit at Assembly

You Know You Love Camp When:

• It is a sunny day.
• It is cabin night and you are having fun with all of the people in your cabin.
• You are excited to see your camp friends at the reunion.
• You miss swimming on Sand Lake.

Treetops on Banquet Night

You Know You Love Camp When:

• You miss the smell of campfire.
• You don’t want to leave.
• You wait all year for camp to start again.
• You are with your camp friends.

Treetops posing in the Rec Hall

Jenna, Sarah, and Lorenza from Driftwood Cabin

It is unfortunate that part of my duties yesterday included driving the Driftwood girls and their counselors to Cathy’s Ice Cream (they really had to twist my arm!) during cabin night as a reward for being “Clean Freaks” for a second week this summer.   After everyone agonized over their choice of ice cream flavor (Rainbow Sherbet, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Caramel Collision, Pirate’s Booty, and Superman made the final cut), we all ended up sitting outside at one of the tables on the deck.  I noticed that Lorenza was particularly “bubbly” and happy, and she announced to the group that this was the BEST DAY EVER!  It didn’t seem right to leave it at that, so I asked her to share what it was that made it such a great day.  She proceeded to recap her day with:

Breakfast: was AMAZING because we had donuts!

1^st period: We got to do a “show” in swimming, and I love doing shows…and the water was SO warm!

2^nd period: I finished my project in Arts and Crafts (a jewelry box), and it turned out to be AWESOME.

3^rd period: I challenged another camper in tennis, and I lost, but it was so much FUN!  And, Jenny, my instructor told me how much I have improved over the summer, and that made me feel really good.

Lunch: We taught Sarah H. how to eat tacos (with the appropriate tilt of the head) so that you “bring the taco to your mouth and not your mouth to the taco.”

Lorenza, Sofia, and Ana Marta on Driftwood’s Canoe Trip

4^th period: I had a blast during Rec Swim because I helped the CIT’s learn our Song Contest entry since they will be performing it at Co-Ed Show later this week.  And, it was fun just being able to hang out with my friends at the beach.

5^th Period: Sailing was cool because I made my first mooring (kind of like “parking” the boat”) and we got to play Sponge Tag.

6^th period: I enjoyed laughing and singing a funny song during Multi-Media while working on our project.  I wrote, “If I could change one thing about camp, it would be to have camp last 8 weeks instead of 6!” for my journal entry.

Dinner: Was really AWESOME because we had grilled cheese sandwiches, and I LOVE grilled cheese!

Evening Activity: Cabin night is one of my favorite evening programs, and it is so GREAT that we are all enjoying ice cream and hanging out together at Cathy’s.  IT DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!

After Lorenza shared an hour-by-hour account of her day, each of the other Driftwood girls followed suit and told what made their day FANTASTIC as well.

Driftwood Cabin at Cathy’s

As I sat back to take in what each girl was sharing in her report of a most awesome day, it occurred to me that this is what I LOVE about the last week of camp.  It is now pay-off time for all of the hard work the girls have put in during the first five weeks.  This last week is really FUN because the girls have been doing their activities daily for over a month now, and they can see the results of the skill progression that occurs when you work at something for an extended period of time.  That feeling of SUCCESS is what makes camp EXTRA SPECIAL in the days we have left.  Campers are fully aware of the short amount of time that remains for this summer, and they want to make the most of EVERY MINUTE they have together!

Sarah H and Jenna 

I heard as a kid that life is all about making memories that last your whole life through.  Growing up I paid no attention to the deeper meaning behind that saying.  I lived in a place where money was no issue.  The houses in my neighborhood all looked the same.  But, our house had something special because it was situated at the base of a mountain, and we had a garden and an endless forest for a backyard.

I grew up traipsing and running around in the woods without a care in the world.  But recently my universe came crashing down.  We moved to a city that wasn’t in the mountains; it was a four hour drive to get back to the forest and giant garden.  When my aunt suggested that I go to a camp in the middle of the Northwoods of Wisconsin, I was all in.  My summer was starting to look a whole lot brighter!

Gigi and Sarah H at the Waterfront

On the drive to camp, I was a nervous wreck.  I had no idea of the magic Camp Woodland held within.  I have found my home here.  I have made friends that I will forever cherish and love.  I have met people who have altered my view on the world.  And, most importantly, I have made memories I will always hold close to my heart.  Camp is about letting go of what society expects of you and being yourself.

Living with seven other people for 6 weeks can be hard, but in the end, you come out loving them more than you might think.  Everyday I wake up and go to tennis, which is a sport I never thought I would like, but I love it!  People say that Camp Woodland is magic, and I firmly believe that.  It has the magic to give you the best summer ever.  So for that, thank you Camp Woodland!

Sarah H.

3^rd generation camper

Sarah with her cabin at Pancake Breakfast

Camp is the place where girls can try new things, meet new friends, and do what we love. If you have never ridden a horse, shot a rifle, or even played tennis, camp is the perfect place to try it. When I first came to camp in 2009, I hadn’t tried half of the activities available to me. I was a little intimidated so I signed up for activities that I was familiar and comfortable with. Later, I decided to try something new: horseback riding and archery (even though horses terrified me). The cool thing about camp is that no matter what you do, there are people there to ensure that everything is fun and worthwhile. If I had the option or time to do every single activity everyday, I would do it in a heartbeat. Although I’m not the master of farm zoo or arts and crafts, the mere act of doing something new is what’s amazing about camp for me.

Elena’s cabin – first summer

Living in a cabin with strangers is also intimidating. My first year, I knew no one but my sister who was in a different cabin. Shying away from everyone was my first instinct. The idea of making new friends was scary, but eventually, I formed the strongest friendships I had ever made that are still strong today. After that first year of camp, I realized that it wasn’t different activities or strangers that was intimidating, but it was the endless opportunities to try new activities, meet new people and find a home away from home. “Dare to Explore” for this year’s theme simply means that once you take the leap to try new things and make friendships, you’ll find the heart of camp that makes girls like my sister and I come back year after year.

Elena’s cabin 2013

Author: Elena K
Camp Woodland Camper
Rising Freshman, New Trier High school