Session 3 Begins
Well folks, it’s here. Session 3 is underway and our stoke level is at an all time high. So many multi-year return campers have come back to their home away from home, to a place that we all know is truly one-of-a-kind.
A brief afternoon rainshower with a few thunderclaps were welcomed, rather than despised. Although that meant swim review would have to wait, our campers get it. They’re here for all of it. Rain or shine, they’re here to live it up as much as humanly possible. Sometimes that means practicing patience and having a willingness to accept the situation, whatever may unfold. Sure, we’ve got a schedule at GRP, and believe me IT IS DIALED. What is simply out of our hands is the weather. What an astounding thing it is to see a hundred campers smiling, laughing and walking with each other in the rain. The best of all of us are in this moment, fully, for as long as we can hold onto it.
It comes as no surprise that campers here for this 3 week session are very much in their element. For many, this is their fifth or sixth summer at The Preserve. Our oldest campers are feeling on top of the world and our youngest are so excited to see what new friendships and adventures might come to be. For me, being one of the photographers who’s been here since 2017, I’m becoming more aware of how some of us GRP lifers have been so lucky to watch these kids grow up. Fom my perspective(likely, along with Sam’s–the other half of our media team), I’ve been looking closely through a lens at every last camper, every session, for about half a decade. Campers who I’ll always remember from when they were tiny, I am now looking up to during conversation. What hasn’t changed a beat is the feeling you can see in their eyes while they’re here. I have been so fortunate to capture moments that I hope will always bring our campers back to their time here. If there’s anything left to say on this first night of Session 3, it’s that I am so very excited to adventure alongside our campers and document their memories the best I know how, as their friendly neighborhood photographer. -The Brandolorian
Story by Brandon S. Marshall with photos by Samantha Keebler & Brandon S. Marshall