Good Evening Founder Friends! My name is Nicole Evans and I am the Out Camping Food Specialist here at Merrowvista! I create, pack, and label all the food that goes out on trails with our campers during their hikes and canoes around New Hampshire, Maine, and Nova Soctia. But today I was lucky enough to be in camp with all the Pioneers and Trailblazers and experience all the fun they are having in camp. Today started out with a flurry of activity as all of the campers did Go-Getters before breakfast. Some ran, some swam, and some even played soccer or had a dance party! This got all of our blood flowing and the sleepies out of our eyes before a beautiful flag raising about community from Little Haystack Village. After breakfast all the campers made sure their cabins were nice and clean before heading off to their interest groups. Everyone got to do two hours of interest groups, which included things like sailing, rock climbing, sculpy clay, outdoor survival, frisbee, swim lessons, paddle boarding, and so much more. After a busy morning we had assembly led by the wonderful Leaders, and then a taco salad lunch, that was equal parts fun and delicious.
After lunch it was time for a break, so we all headed back to our bunks for some eeeaaassssyyyy time. This is really a time when we can nap, relax, read, write a letter, work on a friendship bracelet, and really just prepare for the rest of the busy day ahead of us. Then all those campers got right out of bed for another interest group! This time around we had some of the same, and some other really cool stuff like Guardians of the Garden and MV Chopped. The MV Chopped interest group made granola that the whole community gets to eat tomorrow at breakfast (I snuck a quick taste and it was absolutely delicious!) After our third interest group it was time to have some village time. While our Trailblazers get ready to leave on their backpacking and canoeing trips, (Carter Dome and Sentinel leave tomorrow!) other villages did awesome stuff like waterfront time, outdoor cooking, or team challenge. The trailblazers during their trip prep put up and check out their tents, check all their stoves and gear, check their food to make sure it’s all there (that’s when they visit me!), and get backpacks or paddles and pfds (personal flotation devices)! It’s a lot of preparation work, but it’s so exciting because it means they are about to leave on an amazing adventure! Once village time wrapped up around 5:00 it was time for some free time.
That’s what’s happening right now as I write this. Some campers are playing basketball, bocce ball or frisbee, some are taking showers or chilling at their cabins, some are reading in the gazillion, and some are playing board games in the Bahn (yes its spelled like that, it’s a New England thing :)) In a few minutes we’ll all head to dinner where we’ll eat some chicken pot pie, sing some songs, and fuel our bodies for the evening ahead.
This evening we get a special treat as my fellow staffers will perform in MV Idol, a showcase of the staff talent here. We have some singing, dancing, and other performances lined up, it’s sure to be a fun and enjoyable night. Once that finishes up around 8:30 or so, it’ll be time for all the campers to head to their cabins, change, brush those teeth and have a Village Insight. VI is a time for the village to reflect on the day, bond, and talk about something important to them. It’s always a really meaningful time, and a great way to close out the day. Then it’s lights out at 9:30!
Some other things of note that happened today were the lovely campers of Miniwanca Odyssey leaving on their trip. These campers from our sister camp drive all the way out here from Michigan, then bike home for 4 weeks. We were lucky to spend 2 days and nights with them here as they taught us some new songs, Miniwanca traditions, and even did the dishes for us one night. We wish them luck on their journey. We also said goodbye to our last 4-Trails village today as they went out biking. All of our four trails campers are now out on their adventures and will return to camp with lots of stories to tell! We can’t wait to see them!
Have a great night all,
Onward and Upward
Nicole