What I miss about camp!

Just Sit

Sometimes when I close my eyes the sound of traffic rushing on the Decarie Expressway sounds like wind blowing through the trees. With my eyes still closed I can almost convince myself that the sun shining on my face is not from a -20 degree Celsius January day, but from a lazy summer afternoon. For that one small second I'm not on an icy Montreal sidewalk; I'm on the sailing dock at Camp Wilvaken soaking up the last of the days rays. But then I open my eyes and instead of seeing sailboats moored and the lake's gentle waves, I see concrete and glass and more concrete. 
 

I love the city, I really do, but there is one place I love more. A place where you wouldn't be caught dead wearing anything but mismatched clothes, dirty hair, and the muddy outline of your flip flops on your feet. In this place, the only technology that you really need is a guitar or a piano. Oh, and old clothing fads like wolf shirts, bandannas, and hair wraps never go out of style. In the daytime the air rings with laughter, and at night all you hear is the hooting of a loon somewhere out on the lake. It is in this place, even on the coldest day, no matter how far away I am, that my heart remains. 
 

Camp is so full of life. There is always something to do, someone to talk to, fun to have, and friends to be made. Amongst all the craziness that is camp, I always make sure to find time to just sit. When I have free time some days, I mosey up to the upper riding ring and take a seat in the grass or on a fallen log. Sometimes there are campers having riding lessons, sometimes I just watch the horses eating grass. When I'm by the lake I take a seat wherever there is one-- Lovers Rock, a bench, a dock, the sand, doesn't matter to me! As long as I can just sit. I watch and smile at people playing in the water, boats floating by, a big shaggy black dog chasing sinking rocks. 
 

The best thing about going for a nature walk on one of Wilvy's many forest paths (ALWAYS with your friendly neighborhood tour guide aka counselor, of course) is that you can pick any rock, stump, or even a dry spot on the forest floor and, you guessed it! just sit. You see the world differently when you take a moment to just sit. When you are just sitting, you can tell the birds apart from just their voices, you realize the leaves are more colors than just plain old green, and if you are quiet enough you might see some interesting wildlife before they see you. 
 

It is these simple things in life that I treasure most when I take a time-out from the busy city life and go out to camp. I treasure the fact that my only worry that day is what to wear. Will it be sunny? Will it rain? Do I need bug spray? Sandals or boots? Where did I leave my beach towel? I treasure that I have the opportunity to camp out on the beach with my cabin at night and try to count the stars. I treasure that when I wake up in the morning after it rains I can take a deep breath of fresh air, and that is a 100x better way to start my day than a cup of coffee (which I still drink anyway, because sadly I’m addicted). 
 

I think that I could be eight years old, or eighteen, or eighty, and I would still love these things. I hope that I will never forget to appreciate them. We are all blessed that we are able to spend a few weeks in this wonderful place, because a lot of people in this world will never have a similar opportunity. Some people will never breathe clean mountain air or walk through the forest or paddle a canoe. 

 

So I hope that next time you go to camp, at some point take the time to just sit. Soak it all in — everything you see, hear, smell, and feel. Treasure that moment like there will be no other. Keep that memory in your heart, and it will always be there to warm you up, no matter where you are, even when the summer sun is gone.


Sandy Alain - staff 2009 - 2010
Sandy's blog