Welcome to our very first second session summer update of our 97th camping season.
At this point, every camper who was supposed to arrive at camp today has arrived safely!
As you read this, the energy around camp is electric. Our eight weekers, coming off a super fun changeover field trip yesterday, have been phenomenal greeters for our second session campers, welcoming them with open arms.
Many of us had the pleasure of meeting campers at Minneapolis- St. Paul International Airport today. I know that for some, spending excess time in the airport isn’t the definition of fun…but not for us on the Camp Nebagamon airport crew! It’s a highlight of the summer.
Though there is a common misconception that camp starts upon arrival at camp, the truth of it is that camp starts upon arrival at the airport (or on the bus, as is the case for our Chicago-area campers). We send staff members to greet campers as they disembark their flights, and then walk with them to a gate where we all meet up and wait for the remaining campers to land. (I’m very sorry to anyone who was trying to catch a flight out of gate E1 this morning!) This morning, as the group grew, the energy was palpable. Returning campers reunited with one another and counselors introduced new campers to their future best friends in the world.
We saw a full spectrum of emotion too: the excitement that summer had arrived and the elation of rekindling friendships. We saw the expected nervousness in new campers as they disembarked their flights (and jumped right into making them feel comfortable) as well as the look of confidence in their eyes from flying on their own for the first time!
I was personally lucky enough to greet a large group of campers on a flight from Laguardia. As we walked through the airport together, I tried asking about their school years and the beginning of summer, but quickly they shifted the conversation… “What’s for dinner tonight?” (spaghetti and birthday cake for dessert, as always on the first night). “What will we do tonight?” (tonight is “nesting” night, unpacking and getting settled into their cabins). “What will the weather be like when we get to camp?” (Hot! Just how the first day of summer should be). In a matter of moments, the school year and the first half of the summer began slipping away, and camp life took hold… even before arriving at Nebagamon!
When they arrived at camp, our second session campers were greeted by their counselors and eight-weekers who cheered them on as they hopped off the buses at the Big House. After they completed a quick health check-in they all went with their counselors to drop their carry-on bags off at their cabins, and then jumped right into greetings and games.
Our first session was a blast and we can’t wait to keep it going as the second session gets under way. If you have any questions during the summer of course feel free to reach out to us as 715-374-2275. We publish these updates every other day.
All is well in the Northwoods