While the pictures we share each day offer a sweet glimpse into the daily happenings at Camp Highlander, they can’t capture the full story of the magic of camp. Beyond the smiles and action shots, there’s a profound growth occurring within each camper. There’s the quiet confidence gained from finally jumping off the giant swing, the deep cabin bonds formed from facing challenges at EP with friends, and the invaluable life skills being developed as we live, learn and play together each day. The photos may show the thrill of the giant swing or the joy of a new stuffie from the camp store, but they can’t convey the countless lessons in resilience, teamwork, and self-discovery that make a summer camp session at Highlander a transformative journey.
At Camp Highlander we believe, that a joyful journey is always shared with friends by our side…our cabin unit. The cabin unit is the heart and soul of the Highlander culture. It fosters 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 feel loved and supported just the way they are. With our friends by our side, we accomplish more than we ever could alone.
Favorite Details of the Day
- Reflect at the Rock: This morning Spencer reminded us about the gift of friendship that surrounds us at camp. At the end of his message he asked us to look to our left and to our right. He reminded us that no matter what we face throughout our day, there is a friend right next to us to encourage us.
- Weather: The weather was beautiful today! High of 76 and low of 56. The sun was out, the skies were clear, with a gentle breeze rustling through the trees, making it a perfect day for both relaxation and adventure. It was the kind of weather that makes every moment at Camp Highlander unforgettable.
- Meals: Breakfast today was blueberry muffins, scrambled eggs, sausage links, oatmeal, grits and fresh fruit bar. For lunch we had chicken quesedillas and cheese quesedillas with chips and salsa. Dinner was roasted turkey breast, mashed potatoes and gravy, french green beans and homemade rolls. We also had a salad bar and sandwich bar. Tonight after dinner, the dining hall erupted in the Gus’ chant and Bryan agreed we could all have a treat from Gus’(our candy and soda shack) after Camper’s Choice sign-ups.
- EP: Tonight’s EP was Mission Impossible. Camper’s dressed up as secret agents to crack the mystery code. They traveled around camp collecting clues while protecting their counselors who were being shot with water guns by the bad buys. If a counselor got hit (wet), the cabin had to compete a challenge before moving to the next clue. This would slow the cabin down from being the first to crack the code. It was so sweet to see how your precious little ones were trying to protect their big counselors! In the end, Cabin 9 was the first to crack the code and took home the EP trophy!
- Session Trend: Every session has a trend each summer. Sometimes it’s a hat or a sweatshirt. Sometimes it’s a craft like a bracelet or a necklace trend. Like all trends, once one camper has it…they all want it. My favorite ones are the ones that are free, like this year’s trend…pet rocks! Pet rocks are HUGE this summer, and we are NEXT LEVEL with our pets this year making them chairs, and houses and keeping them comfortable. I am obsessed with them! These sweet rocks scream compassion, imagination and creativity which is what camp is all about! I hope you get a new pet rock on Friday becuase you can’t help but smile when you look at them! Long live the PET ROCKS!
About Melissa Fitzgerald
