Compiled by Louis Levin
After camp this summer, my wife Maggie and I moved back home to the city we both grew up in (ok, grew up near – we’re both from the suburbs). There were a lot of things pulling us back to Chicago besides family and, after five amazing years in Detroit, it was time to head home. So we’ve been unpacking boxes, moving furniture, setting up rooms, changing locks, cleaning, the first grocery shop, choosing a witty wifi password – it’s a long list! Family, friends, and camp folks have been asking how it’s going; while moving isn’t exactly easy, I’ve done it fairly often and have lots of experience. And doing it with my wife Maggie has made it go a lot smoother. We’ve gotten settled into our new home quite quickly. After two months, we’re feeling very moved in. We unpacked all of the boxes within a week, hung pictures on the walls and found some new(ish) furniture on Facebook marketplace to fill in the gaps. More than ever, during this last move, I’ve realized that my experience at camp has perhaps done the most for preparing me for big transitions in life, like moving.
Whenever we visit a prospective camper’s house in the winter, one of the first things we discuss is potentially the most nerve wracking: the transition from comfortable home to unfamiliar camp. We walk campers through all the ways that we make it a bit easier, like the introduction of a camp Big Brother, or showing them the inside of a cabin and helping them envision moving in, a process we call nesting. (It’s called nesting because, while each cabin has been home to hundreds of campers through Nebagamon’s storied history, we want each camper to feel like it’s their bunk in their cabin.)
When new campers arrive at Nebagamon, the transition from unfamiliarity to making camp feel like home is remarkably quick. By the end of the first night, our campers are moved in. Clothes are in cubbies, they’ve hung a picture or two next to bed with some pushpins, made their bed, and positioned their book and flashlight on a shelf next to bed. Some of them have even managed to lose their toothbrush already! We want that move-in process to go fast for campers, because soon they’re off playing foursquare on the hill, making friends, and exploring their new village. At most, our campers get only eight weeks of camp. Spending any more than an evening nesting is cutting into precious time doing the important things at camp – like hill games!
The skills campers build and practice in that transition to camp are crucial for all sorts of transitions coming down the line – heading to sleepovers in the winter, or moving out of their childhood home to college in a future year, or moving back home to be near their family way down the line. I think it’s due to Nebagamon that I like to nest quickly. I like to get my bed made, unpack all the boxes, put things on the walls, and make the house feel like a home. Because once that’s all done… I can go play foursquare!
We’ve got lots of news from our most recent road trip – if you’ve got things to share with the camp family, please send your news along to [email protected] or fill out the form here.
IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW… In Cleveland, Maxwell Block is playing travel soccer and is currently reading through the Harry Potter series. Lu Apfel can be found biking through the neighborhood with his friends, as well as keeping busy with cross country and soccer. Lu runs in the 1.5 mile race, and his team recently placed first in a statewide cross country meet. Continuing with a running theme, in Houston, Max Goldfarb is running the two mile for his cross country team and is the Vice President of his schools Spike Ball team (that’s a new one too!). Will Goldfarb is playing soccer and starting to play lacrosse. The Kramer brothers are continuing their tennis tear at home – Henry Kramer is practicing his backhand as well as starting wrestling, and Arthur Kramer is focused on forehand and swimming butterfly and freestyle for his swim team. In Nashville, Charlie Heist organized a car show at his school, featuring sports cars from the neighborhood. In Dallas, Louie Bader is a tennis fiend, and brother Henry Bader is playing soccer and baseball as well as practicing trumpet and drums for the GTC this summer. Ari Foxman has been practicing his computer programming skills; in his most recent project, he’s been animating a gorilla in Java. And in Denver, Finn Simon has been working on his jumps in figure skating. River Ryan is keeping busy with golf, tennis, and lacrosse. Brule Kurowski is bouldering at the gym and playing soccer, and Tejay Reddy won his flag football league’s championship and is playing lots of basketball. Darren Bell’s indoor soccer season has started, and brother Zach Bell is excited that ski season has started. In fact… Everyone is skiing. Walt Schiffer is taking advantage of good mountain biking weather… before the snow comes for ski season. Hadley Goldsmith is playing flag football… and waiting for ski season. And Zander Aronoff is playing drums and piano in his school’s jazz band… and can’t wait to hit the slopes!
IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT… It’s a boy, Eliot James Hensel, for Joel Hensel (Northbrook, IL/Chicago, 2003-’07, ‘09-’10, ‘12-’13, ‘15) and Caitlyn Bryski. It’s a boy, Spencer Cole Zimmerman, for Craig Zimmerman (New York, 1986-’91, ‘93-’96, ‘98) and Joy Zimmerman.
WEDDING CONGRATULATIONS GO TO… Zack Halpern (Dayton/Denver, 2006-’11) and Skylar Visnack.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW… Benji Ballin (Memphis/Detroit, ‘06-‘11, ‘13-‘16, ‘18) lives in the best neighborhood of Detroit where he is walking distance to not only the NBA (which would be enough) but also the NHL, MLB, and NFL, in addition to other great music venues, bars and casinos! He would love any camp family members to come to town and visit him when they catch their favorite band or team playing a show or game in Detroit!