Camp Notes .02

There is nothing quite like arriving at a place for the first time while it’s raining. That was my introduction to Camp Oneka and it was a magical feeling. The cabins looked so vibrant beneath a canopy of rain-soaked trees and the whole place felt unbelievably cozy. I captured the below image that first evening after the rain had settled and the sun was setting. It might be my favourite capture so far.

Here are my parting Camp Notes from my time here.

The girls at Camp Oneka wear French braids tied with bows, red and white uniforms, and radiate enough spirit to host their own pep rally daily. This week, I did my best to blend in. Each day, a camper braided my hair, and I even managed to score a red Oneka shirt (Wohelo girls, if you're reading this, please don't hold it against me!).

Camp Oneka might be the closest real-life version of the camp from The Parent Trap I've ever seen. It has all the elements; aesthetic uniforms, picture perfect cabins and a beautiful waterfront. I was specifically drawn to their platform tents reserved for the older campers. I found myself capturing so many portraits in those tents - I can’t wait to share once the time comes!

A core theme of Oneka is their colour war. First year campers get assigned a colour. That colour (red or white) is their team, and they remain on that team forever. Through out the summer they compete in several different games which all add up at the end of the summer to determine which team wins. This week I witnessed 2 soccer matches, 2 hockey matches and a very important war canoe race (pictured above). Needless to say there was a lot of cheering. Campers who aren’t directly involved playing the sport stand on the sidelines and scream their lungs out with cheering.

There is a lot of love here.
I witnessed several closing ceremonies during my stay, as my final day happened to line up with the last day of first session. For some girls, it was also their final summer as a camper before stepping into the role of counselor. I watched many girls cling to one another, not wanting to leave this moment in time. I could feel that. I have similar memories; the bittersweet sadness of saying goodbye to friendships that hold the weight of the world.

Summer camp feels like it operates on it’s own time system. You live so much life in one day at summer camp that by the end of 3.5 week it feels like the whole summer, by the end of 7 weeks it feels like a year. Even coming into these spaces as a guest, I feel the time warp too! So when it comes to friendships, although these girls only spend 3-7 weeks together, it feels like so much more.

A moment from the day parents came to pick up their first session campers - organised chaos, I loved it.

My favourite sound this week, the harmonious sound of leaves shaking in the breeze.

That’s all for now from my experience at Camp Oneka. For the next few days I’m taking a brief break from camp life to explore Hudson/Rhinebeck area with my Dad and sister, before diving back into camp life next week.

xx,
Amanda

P.S. Apparently I’m 22 in camp world. Turns out all you need to do is braid your hair everyday and wear no makeup - that will do the trick.