‘Camp’. A single word which can conjure up such a wide range of emotions. Excitement and joy for some, trepidation and disdain for others. This year’s college camps have been a little different to those before. Rather than staying in lodges and dormitories, we opted for the great outdoors and embraced the lakeside lifestyle that was camping at Lake St Clair.
This change certainly brought about mixed emotions in everyone. I personally love camping. The lack of solid walls to sleep within, the flexibility of your daily activities. With no mobile reception, the limited access to technology was refreshing.
Overall the students embraced the change in lifestyle – some were not particularly enthused by the prospect of camping, others couldn’t wait to be on the bus and putting up their own tents. When we arrived and saw the beautiful countryside, it was hard not to appreciate Lake St Clair.
Upon arrival, confused and unsure about the lack of structured activities and mobile reception, many asked ‘what is there to do here?’ ‘Embrace it all’ is the message we gave. Students were able to choose what they wanted to do from the activities on offer. No pressure, just encouragement. Many were water based, which definitely suited some more than others – who would have known Andre was such a keen fisherman? Different activities for the non-water babies included games such as volleyball, frisbee, playing card games and hand ball. Many students initially baulked at the prospect of hiking up hills and walking across the valleys, however when asked if they wanted to come on a 5:30am hike to see the sunrise, surprisingly a lot actually did. Then as the day was closing, they even walked up the hillside again to marvel at the sunset too.
Overall, whether camping or glamping is your thing, this camp was one to remember. A beautiful outdoor experience to remind us all that we don’t need technology to have a good time, we just need each other, some enthusiasm, an open mind … oh, and a boat!
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