Despite some rain clouds, we are still running a full-fledged program here at Tripp Lake Camp. Our art shops are a staple to the everyday program, and your girls have loved exploring our newly renovated building and all of its features. New activities, such as culinary arts and spin/fitness class are the talk of the campus. We give immense credit to our staff for stretching their creative muscles to make ‘Nail Salon’ with the Juniors, BINGO with the Inter III’s, and Spelling Bee Showdown with the Inter I’s as much fun as being outdoors. Spirits are high with the announcement of the four big teams – Climbers (red and blue), Giants (blue and white), Cubs (red and white), and Tigers (orange and black). Our youngest campers, in the JR, AJ, and SUB age groups, will learn their little teams soon. Just like that, we’ve come to the end of our first full week of camp!
In looking to the next week, it seems an appropriate time to mention that at this point, you have probably begun to receive your first batch of letters from your daughter. Details about her bunkmates and their really cool Croc jibbitz, about her counselor who takes the time to make her a personalized daily schedule, and about the items that may be lost, but are actually right on the shelf above her, will fill the pages. This content will make you smile. Yet, you may also feel your heart sink at the mentioning of homesickness, an activity that didn’t go as well as she’d hoped, a desire to know what she’s missing at home, or a misunderstanding with a bunkmate. Oftentimes, you’ll get a little bit of both! It’s important to recognize that by the time you’ve received these letters, a couple of days have passed and your child has most likely resolved the issue with the help of a friend or a counselor. It is also worth noting that in these moments of disappointment, it’s actually quite natural that she then selects that time to curl onto her bed and write a letter to her parents, the people she loves the most. Thus, only a snippet of the day becomes the narrative of the letter.
Please know that we are here to provide your daughter with the love and support she needs to take on these challenges, and we are committed to keeping you in the loop as well. We say this often, but it’s a fallacy to think that homesickness or an unfavorable team game is the equivalent to not liking camp. And if that’s not enough to convince you, take a look at the letter penned by a ten-year-old named Stacy… a young girl turned administrator! 
