Two Sentinels will always have my heart!

It’s that time of year again: the yearly ode to camp!

There is something about this place… it gets into your heart and soul and never lets you go, though you wouldn’t want it to anyway. The lake, the trees, the granite, and the Sierra sun… nothing is more soothing to the soul. It is a reunion with my camp family; a recharge; a reset button for life: camp rejuvenates me in more ways than I ever thought possible. I am incredibly grateful for my camp family and the time I get to spend with them every year, be it in hail, rain, sunlight, or moonlight.

This year was no exception: the lake bonfire once again reminded me how much I refresh my spirit when I visit; how much my {old and new!} camp friends mean to me; and how much camp has become a part of who I am.

Alpine lake water, warm granite, long walks with friends, bright campfire sparks against a black sky with pinpoints of brilliant stars, tall pines, sun-warmed dirt. Dirty feet, dirty legs, mosquito bites; contagious, uncontrollable laughter, impossible hilarity, simultaneously having a dance party while washing out the enormous oatmeal pot, hanging from the kitchen rafters just because we can. Sense of place, sense of belonging. Camp tradition, heritage, friends, family, love, laughter, starlight. All the things guaranteed to give my soul the happy lift it needs, to escape technology for simple pleasures of singing, reading, laughing, and talking. Nothing is more grounding for me than having my feet in the waters of Lake Kirkwood and the sun on my head, reminding me to be present and mindful of life’s joys.