It's hard to think of just one thing that makes me smile during the summer … I feel so fortunate to get a front-row seat to the goings on here at Onas during the summer, and especially seeing young people be incredible community members, friends, and grow while they play.  

Two things that will always be on my favorites list though are:

Any time campers and staff entertain one another in a camp-wide performance … tent skit night, lip sync, OnasStock, closing campfire … and this summer’s “Geigel Hill Road Boys” concerts… The creativity and originality people share so freely through performance is amazing. And there’s something so lovely in the experience of taking turns being entertained, and being the entertainment. I don’t think there’s anywhere one can find warmer, more heartfelt cheering and applause than on the Onas Stage, Flatbed Trailer, or Campfire Benches.  

Another of my all-time-favorite things that make me smile are when I see campers show their grownups around on check-out day. Seeing campers confidently share Camp Onas with their adults, and the sense of confidence and ownership they possess when they do so always makes me smile. I especially love seeing campers speak with authority on something they know more about than their adults … as an example, I’m reminded of the time I heard an 8-year-old tell his dad (with authority) that they would not be running down the Dining Hall Hill, especially in sandals. 

There is no greater joy than jumping into the golf cart only to see a parking ticket on the window for $8,000,000 for "Being Dirty".

Until now I hadn't considered that the ticket-maker is probably just as dusty!

This summer we had a wonderfully experienced and loving staff. It's a true pleasure to be able to work year over year with some truly bright and energetic younger people. 

What made me smile this past summer was watching the campers on check out day saying their goodbyes to fellow campers and staff.  It's amazing the strong connections made in such a short period of time.  Lots of hugs all around!

So much made me smile this summer! Although I work off site, I usually spend some time at Camp during the summer in order to stay connected with the program, meet the staff, and do some engagement work, such as taking photos. It was awesome to spend time at Camp this summer and see all the campers having a blast, singing songs, running around. 

I was also lucky enough to be able to supervise two of our summer staff this summer, Morgan (our Advancement and Engagement Intern) and George (our resident filmmaker/videographer).

Morgan was my camper for two summers back when I was a counselor, so it was fun to get to boss her around again (kidding!). But seriously, it was amazing working with Morgan and George. They were both such hardworking, creative, upbeat people and it was a pleasure to work with them this summer and get to know them better. The three of us collaborated a lot during Fourth Session, when I joined them to facilitate some interviews that will be used in future Camp Onas videos. 

Another thing that made me smile was seeing shooting stars in the Perseid meteor shower. I saw my first shooting star at Camp Onas when I was in the bunk Goldenrod. I got to see four shooting stars this summer when I was onsite! It was delightful.