What a fantastic day we had at Camp Highlander! Under beautiful blue skies and a bright shining sun, we celebrated the last day of activities for Session B with Camper’s Choice Day. Every camper had the chance to end their camp experience on the highest note, engaging in the activities they love most. Some campers crafted delicious pizzas in the wood-fired pizza oven, while others played an intense game of ultimate frisbee on the field or bravely conquered the Crow’s Nest.

We had campers dedicated to earning their Master of the Mills in various activities, others completing intricate art projects in the woodshop, studio, or glassworx. Many enjoyed quality time with friends, painting nails or belting out tunes at Taylor Swift Appreciation. I love that each camper spent the day doing exactly what they wanted with their favorite friends, creating cherished memories. It was yet another GREAT DAY at Camp Highlander, filled with joy, laughter, and unforgettable moments.

Camp is overflowing with incredible moments, and this session has been packed with more than I can count. Over the past two weeks, I’ve witnessed countless beautiful interactions from our campers and staff that have left a lasting impression on my heart. I’ve seen counselors selflessly serving your children with joyful smiles and patient hearts. I’ve watched campers helping counselors clean tables after meals, not because they were asked, but because they saw a need and stepped up. I’ve seen cabins start the session as strangers and end as family, forming bonds that will last a lifetime.

I’ve witnessed acts of forgiveness, love, selflessness, generosity, compassion, courage, and grace from your children, over and over again. These moments, and so many more, fill me with immense gratitude.

Tonight was one of those moments. After dinner, campers eagerly lined up at the microphone to give heartfelt shout-outs. Typically, shout-outs are given by staff during meal announcements to recognize the incredible things we see in our campers each day. However, tonight, it was the campers who had so much to express, sharing their gratitude and appreciation for their counselors and cabin mates. My heart was so full to see the line at the mic keep growing, with campers praising friends who achieved their goals or even killed the spider on the overnight. They praised their counselors for being the BEST on camp. They gave shout-outs to the activity staff, the kitchen staff, the leadership and even the nurses for “treating their rash!” And there was the camper who just chose to shout-out everyone, because in all honesty EVERYONE has been amazing this session!

This is my last blog of the session because tomorrow is all about the campers! I want to thank you for sharing your precious children with us this session. Thank you for allowing Camp Highlander to be a part of your family and for your unwavering support of camp. Thank you for connecting with us through this blog each day. We can’t wait to do it all again with you next summer!

Tomorrow we will:

• take our panoramic photo
• pack up in the morning,
• enjoy dancing in the dining hall at lunch
• enjoy our last two activity periods
• watch the HBA finals
• have an awards ceremony
• enjoy the Session B one act play
• eat dinner in the cabin with friends
• enjoy one final campfire of session B
• and fall asleep dreaming of the summer of 2025

Favorite Details of The Day:

• Reflect: This morning at Reflect, Nico and Madeline, our CIT counselors, talked about the lessons that camp has taught them and how it has prepared them for life. Both were campers and now counselors, and they believe that their camp experience has shaped the people they are today and given them the skills they needed to be independent and resilient.
• Weather: We are walking on sunshine here at Highlander! It was a beautiful day!
• Meals: For breakfast we had Belgian waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, oatmeal, grits and a fruit bar. For lunch we had meatball subs, tater tots and a salad and sandwich bar with whole fruit. For dinner we had chicken fajitas, fajita veggies, black beans, mexican rice, homemade guacamole, queso and salsa with chips, and our salad and sandwich bar. The disco ball went off one last time for the session and we all danced for our dessert…cinnamon and sugar churros!! SO GOOD!
• EP: Tonight’s EP was an old Camp Highlander tradition, Mr. Highlander. Mr. Highlander is a spoof beauty pageant for the male staff. The campers really love this night, and the campaigning started at the beginning of the session. Every cabin rallies behind a male staff member that they support and cheer for. They’ve made posters, pitches in the dining hall during shout-outs and were so excited to scream for their favorite contestant. I love how our male staff get ALL IN for this EP. They dress up, compete in a lip sync act (with a guest cabin), have the silliest talents you can imagine (like the art of eating a banana), and make up funny answers for their interview portion. We all shared lots of laughs and had so much fun celebrating the amazing male staff who we have grown to love and adore over the session! This year’s Mr. Highlander was Christopher, one our international staff from Mexico!
• Random Camp Fact: Did you know, at camp we we say the days of the week a little bit different…Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Laundry Day, Thursday, Friday, Saturday…Laundry is a BIG deal at camp! We are packing clean clothes to send home to you tomorrow! See you on Friday!