More than Entertainment

This morning we had to say goodbye to our friends in the first July mini session. Across the board, the campers and counselors have felt this session fly by. We’ve been having the kind of fun that’s completely absorbing, and the kind of days where it’s easy to stay busy. And when there are this many cool people around to play with, the days click by without you even noticing. This closing day is particularly difficult for everyone because some of us, the full-session campers (and all of the staff, of course), are staying behind for 2 more weeks of camp. The mini sessions are great for younger campers and girls who are new to Rockbrook, but after a few years of coming, it’s completely normal to start attending for longer if possible.  We hear it all the time from campers on closing day, “Next year I’m coming for the full session!”

During the check out procedure today, one mother made a thoughtful comment worth sharing. After seeing her daughter in the photo gallery, reading this blog and the letters from her counselor, she remarked that what was most valuable about being at Rockbrook was not the activities, but the warm relationships her daughter had with everyone here. She didn’t really care if her daughter went down the water slide or rode horses as much as she had hoped. What mattered was that she felt comfortable, safe and had plenty of good people to be with. She thanked us for providing such a wonderful community. That was great to hear! Sure we spend a lot of time offering top-notch activities everyday, and making sure that there is always something fun to do, but it’s true camp is so much more than all of this. Rockbrook is a beautiful place and it’s tons of zany fun, but it’s the people and feel of the place that make it truly special.  We’re focused on making Rockbrook a great experience for our campers, far beyond just entertaining them.

Also today, a group of full session Middlers and Seniors took a day trip down the Nantahala river. We took our time and left after breakfast with a lunch and several snacks packed in the buses. Peaches before rafting! It wasn’t long after lunch and we had five rafts of excited girls splashing down the chilly rapids of the river, learning to slap a “high five” overhead with their paddles, laughing and singing along the way.  While it was hot and sunny for the first part of the trip, it started to rain for the last 30 minutes or so.  It wasn’t thundering, so we just kept on rafting, and surprisingly, the rain was warmer that the river water, so the girls didn’t skip a beat.  It was just all the more fun!  We were all totally soaked by the end, but after changing into dry clothes it was a comfortable bus ride back to camp in time for dinner.