Today was our first full day of camp which meant it was the first day of rafting on the Nantahala River, our first day for off-camp hikes and our first day of five activity periods this session. Today I heard the first chant at lunch, danced my first macarena of the summer for Move It Monday and watched our cabins enjoy their first time at an activity this summer. We had our first line of shout-outs at dinner for campers who got their first bullseye at archery, for their first time off the giant swing and even their first time trying a new food! I could not stop smiling today as I walked around camp absorbing the joy that Camp Highlander gives to all of us. The enthusiasm, laughter and happiness of our campers was absolutely contagious. It was a fantastic first full day of camp!
While at an activity today, one of the activity counselors asked “Are you girls having fun?” A precious camper answered, “Yes! It’s like we are sisters, but we just met yesterday!” I couldn’t have said it better. After just two days of camp, we are family.
The family feeling at Highlander is fostered through our cabin unit! The cabin unit is the heart and soul of the Camp Highlander culture. It creates a sense of belonging and value in each and every one of its campers. It provides a safety net for healthy risk-taking and comfort for campers to be themselves and be loved. It provides constant company, and after just two days it has given us sisters and brothers that we just met yesterday!
Favorite Details of the Day
- Reflect at the Rock: This morning I talked about smiles and the power they have to impact others. I reminded them as they travel through camp each day that their smile is a welcomed gift to others. Give it away as often as you can and watch as you change or make someone’s day!
- Weather: Today’s weather was beautiful! It was a hot day today. The high was 86 today with a low of 68. The pool and the lake felt amazing on this warm summer day!
- Meals: For breakfast we had french toast sticks, scrambled eggs, sausage links, oatmeal, grits and a fruit bar. For lunch we had turkey club flatbread sandwiches, potato chips and a salad bar. For dinner we had greek chicken, grilled vegetables, hummus and pita bread and a salad and sandwich bar.
- EP: Tonight’s evening program was Cabin Challenge. The theme was Star Wars so cabins dressed up in space themed costumes to compete in various challenges against brother or sister cabins. The challenges were musical ice buckets, Pictionary, Limbo Hula Hoop Lasso, Human Wordle, Lightsaber Battle, Clean the Spaceship, Sponge Relay and more. For the finale, Cabin 15 competed with Cabin 22 & 23 in the final challenge, “The Force Be with You.” In this challenge, each cabin used water guns to shoot a beach ball with maximum force. The goal was to get the ball across to the other teams side. In the end, Cabins 22 & 23 won the challenge to claim the EP trophy. It was such a fun night!
About Melissa Fitzgerald
