Oh the Places You'll Go: Camp Cherith

Photo taken by Jessica Aiduk

This summer has sent me traveling to many different places. In fact, I've been quite the nomad. I haven't spent more than about a week in any one place all summer (except 3 weeks halfway around the world visiting my beautiful sister in Germany). This week and next week I find myself settling at Camp Cherith- tucked away in a small corner of Western NY near Letchworth State Park.

In a lot of ways, coming to camp is like coming home, and this summer especially, it feels really good to come home. Camp has been a staple in my life since I was about 3 years old. My sisters and I have come every summer growing up and all went through the leadership training program here and became staff members. Every year I would go about my life, I would change, I would grow, and then I would come back to camp. Its a place of reflection for me and it is a place of rest. It also happens to be where I have formed some of closest friendships of my life and have an absolute blast every year. So much of my leadership skills and lessons learned in teamwork I can trace back to this camp.

At this particular moment in time I'm excited because in about 3 hours I take a group of four high school girls into the woods for 2 days to camp out. My love of camping, hiking, fires, and nature is a gift largely fostered by my time growing up at camp- and I absolutely love paying it forward and sharing that love with the next generation. I think that the experience of good old fashioned camping is good for the soul. This trip into the woods is particularly exciting cause I will be teaching the counselors in training how to pass the experience along to all their future campers.

My role at this camp is slightly different than my role last at last weeks camp, but variety is the spice of life, right? Anyway, I'm off have some tent therapy and wonderful adventures!

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir

Photo taken by Jessica Aiduk