Camp Notes .05

With only the light of the camp fire to guide them, the girls gather to walk into a nearby clearing in the woods, they hold hands and sit in the silence of the night before being dismissed for bed. The final council fire of the summer feels spiritual. Girls have a tight grip on the hands of those next to them and tears are streaming down their faces as they realise what they are about to leave behind. It’s a beautiful way to end the summer but equally very sad.

Camp Notes from my time at Wohelo:

This is my third time returning to Wohelo since being a counselor and each time I return it has affected me in different ways. I surprised myself this time around with the ease at which I can blend right in. I still know all the camp songs, of course I know my way around the camp well and even the steps I take walking through the roots of trees feels familiar. My 32-year-old self felt a bit too confident hopping from rock to rock as I wandered through camp - maybe it’s muscle memory and fortunately I didn’t fall on my face.

I aligned my visit so that I could witness the final days of camp activities such as, water sports day (Wohelo’s colour war) and their final council fire ceremony - where the girls gather around a fire, sing camp songs and are given awards they earned from the summer. This was extra special as I hadn’t been to a final council fire since I was 16.

Magic was in the air this week at camp. One thing that really stood out was how often I saw campers working hard toward awards that demanded real effort and commitment. Camp is definitely about friendship but camp is also a place to push yourself and work towards something you didn’t realise you could achieve. Wohelo has some challenging awards and they take them seriously - I’m glad they do, because it teaches these girls perserverance, patience, humility and most of all strength. I felt genuinely honoured to be in their presence this week. Each camper impressed me in their own quiet and powerful way.

Highlights:

• Camp prank: the 15-year-old’s tying all the campers left sneakers together and leaving them on the ball field.

• Living amongst the spiders and their webs (not a highlight, more of an observation)

• Tree roots that have become the stairs of nature (Wohelo has rugged terrain and you really need to have you head down constantly to make sure you don’t trip on the root of a tree but it’s also beautiful how the trees map the landscape.)

• Sitting on the swimming dock at 10pm, watching 4 counselors canoe out into the moonlight to sing a lullaby for the campers.

• A camper, who worked up until the last minute to pass an award which required her to make a fire the old-fashioned way (spinning a stick against a piece of wood until the friction created enough heat to spark an ember). She spent all afternoon working on it and most of the camp knew. When she finally did it, her friends around her started cheering and immediately the rest of camp knew why they were cheering and all the girls ran from where ever they were around camp to cheer and hug her for her accomplishments. It was a beautiful moment.

  

  

  

  

Believe it or not I’m at my 6th and final camp!!
I’m thrilled to be here and can’t wait to share images soon.

P.S.
Real talk: I am EXHAUSTED, I’m ready to sleep in my own bed and eat some normal food but life is so beautiful and I feel unbelievably thankful for each one of these summer camps that have let me into their sacred spaces.

xx,
Amanda