Drop Off

I dropped Zach and Sami at sleep away camp earlier today…   This is Zach’s eighth year and Sami’s sixth attending Camp Arowhon so they are “old hands” now.  This year Zach is considered a “senior” boy and hence has the luxury of sleeping in the senior boys cabin “on the point” – a small peninsula that juts into the lake, with everyone being barred entry unless you live in the cabin…   Apparently it’s a rather prestigious place and so he was pretty pumped about taking up residence there.  Sami was especially excited to see all of her friends again and reconnect – she’s such a social butterfly (yes, I mean that in the best possible way, in that she makes soooooooo many friends its hard to keep up!).

Camp Arowhon

This year like most they are going to camp for a month.  Let me tell you it was very hard for me as a parent the first few years that they attended, especially me being without the camping background, all I could do was miss them like crazy and way always a little on edge and nervous about their well being, but I quickly learned “no news is good news” and no matter how much worrying I did they always came away both unscathed but more importantly more independent than ever before!

I guess in retrospect I was the one who admittedly was the “worry wart” in the family, whereas they adjusted to their new environs pretty quickly.   Now at the ripe old ages of 14 and 12 they literally just said – “can you just drop us off at the bag drop?”    “Its okay dad we don’t need you to come down to our cabins – see you in a month”.   I told them that I loved them, gave them an all too quick hug and wished them a great time before they quickly and happily disappeared down the track toward the camp…

When did they become adults I thought to myself as I watched them head off???  

Actually I wish I were going to camp – every year I drop them off and every year I day dream about lazy, sun drenched days by a lake, with tough choices like – do I want to windsurf or kayak this morning?   Should I go zip lining or rock climbing this afternoon?  Rather difficult choices to make each day – don’t you think?  J

Camp Arowhon is set about 40km inside Algonquin Provincial Park, scenically situated on the sparkling and pristine Teepee lake - surrounded by endless forests, hundreds of lakes and thousands of kilometres of wilderness in every direction.

Camp Arowhon main lodge from the dock on Teepee Lake

The camp is rather difficult to spot unless you’re on the lake as there is only a single logging road that ends at the camp.  The best view is from the lake where you see the occasional log cabin or two set amongst the trees and foliage that dot the shoreline. 

 It’s a pretty rustic setting, but the most stunning building is the original main lodge or “ML” as the campers affectionately call it. The ML is an enormous log cabin, which dates from 1934 when the camp was first built.  The camp has been serving generations of families from all over the North America and indeed the world ever since and seems as popular now as ever before.  The other pretty cool thing about the ML is that it’s large enough to seat 300 people in one sitting – can you say HUGE?  

There are lots of cool things about Camp Arowhon – lets explore a couple shall we?   Firstly, they draw camp counselors from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland and the UK, so the campers all interact in a global setting with accents from all over the world. 

Mist over the water on Teepee Lake - Camp Arowhon

Another important thing about camp is that the kids are totally disconnected from technology and electronics for their entire stay – no cell phones, video games, iPads, tablets or computers…   Hard to believe but the kids really look forward to it and after a day or two don’t seem to miss them at all.   Its tough love if you’re found with one – it’s confiscated on the spot and donated it to charity with no questions asked and no amount of begging, screaming or badgering will bring it back – its gone!

Camp is a real chance to reconnect with nature and slow down without the omnipresent distraction and pull of technology.  Almost a cleansing experience for the kids, which I truly believe, they need from time to time.

There are a few important traditions that every camper quickly get used to – swimming is mandatory and every day, no if’s and’s or but’s…    Another is that irrespective of age every camper goes on an overnight canoe trip – yep, even the six and seven year olds.  As the kids get older the longer the canoe trip lasts…this year Zach is in the wilderness for six days and Sami four.  This means lots of hiking, paddling and lugging their gear over portage after portage, and learning the skills to survive in the wilderness.  Pretty cool really when you think about it.

A camp tradition - the nightly campfire

Surprisingly they relish the challenge and look forward to it just as they do the annual “color war”.  This tradition dates from the camps inception and consists of the campers being divided into teams and competing in a series of camp related games, activities and races towards being crowned Color War Champions.  Every age group participates from six to sixteen and develops a strong bond that spans all the participants, irrespective of age or background.

Clearly with so much going on and so much fun to be had it’s almost impossible to keep your kids away from camp, try as you might.  

For me it’s the excitement that you see on their faces, the enjoyment in their voices when they regale you in their stories and adventures from camp, and most of all the wonderfully rich memories they’re carving into their childhoods – all I can say is "pure bliss"!

Prologue:

With the kids away at camp I’m set to head off to Italy on Monday, as you know this year I’ll be busily editing and re-writing my book in readiness for submission to my publisher in mid August.   Wish me luck!

If you want to reach me I’ll be in San Giovanni di Bellagio sitting on my sun drenched private piazza writing and soaking up the culture in one of my favorite places on earth…

Ciao, ciao!  J