Session 4 Begins

We find ourselves closer to the end of summer than we’d like to admit. We’ve experienced and seen so much. So many acts of kindness and bravery. So many new stories. New friendships kindled. New pieces of ourselves, found. We welcome Session 4 of 2021, with open arms and open minds. A myriad of new Campers made their way across the Back Field to discover cabins that will become their homes for the next two weeks.

Through rain or shine, we’ll trek across the Preserve, learning from Mentors, Counselors, and each other. We’ll look for Grand-Slaminals and observe wildlife in the most natural of settings.

If you can, imagine a place where the Milky Way trails its otherworldly light against the darkest sky, an endless blanket of blue-violet, speckled with tiny circles of silver and gold. Imagine the morning comes with a colorful chorus of sound that speaks to your soul, from the barely audible dripping of dew falling from the leaves of the sourwood and sweet birch to the enchanting exuberance of birdsong echoing from the tallest pines. Imagine a place where excitement meets joy, where moments are fleeting and timeless, all at once. If you can imagine a world, a world outside the realm of society where each organism is treated with the same reverence and respect, where each one of us can be everything that we are, you have some idea of what it is to be part of summer camp at GRP. We make each moment last forever, through our continued love for what we become while we’re here. There are times, every so often, when we all get the chance to live without fear or regret. Here, it’s not every so often. It’s every second of every day.

Story by Brandon S. Marshall with photos by Brandon S. Marshall & Samantha Keebler