There is a special magic that happens in the Bear Creek Camp office in these colder months. For a moment, camp starts to feel awfully quiet, especially in the office. It is hard to remember that this was a building where people would come and go quite often just a few months ago. During the summertime, campers are almost never in the office, but summer staff do occasionally end up inside. They stop by for a quick check-in, to see if the package from their grandma is here yet, to scrounge for snacks, or to rock away on the front porch. The jingle of the front door becomes a typical pattern throughout the summer days as people come and go. During the winter, though, this sound is rare.
Just a few weeks ago, I was sitting at my desk when I heard the jingle of the front door. A voice called out, “hello!” and took me right back to summer, and I could not jump out of my seat quicker. With a booming smile on their face, a summer staff member from 2021 was back in this office, and their specific mission this time was to simply say hello.
As college holiday breaks have come and gone, these surprise visits happen quite often, actually. Whether they are hiking with friends, finishing up a class project, or just stopping by to say hi – they find a sanctuary and solace in this small, brown building away from the noise of everyday life. We have an entire wall dedicated to cabin pictures from the summer, and this is almost always where we end up talking to previous staff – pointing and laughing at the memories.
Inevitably, they have to leave and go back to their normal life, but I do not believe they leave this place with nostalgia and sadness. I believe they leave with inspiration and hope that propels them into the future as they continue being the world-changers we know them to be.
-- Kaitlyn Blend, Program Director
