Dear Tripp Lake Families,
Each Friday during Friday Evening Services we can appreciate a simple fact; our campers are taking camp life seriously. All week, the Tripp Lakers are active, funny, shouting, being silly, goofy, wearing hysterically funny team gear, laughing, cheering; in general, having a blast with their friends. Then comes Friday Evening Service. As the special bell rings, you can see people coming from all over camp to sit on the hill and partake in this service of reverence and respect. It is here and at this time that the TL Ladies and staff transform into serious, focused, reflective individuals who are grateful for their time at Tripp. Below you will read how the 1ABers compared dictionary meanings to the meanings in their hearts. We know you will enjoy reading this as much as we did hearing them.
Home (noun): An apartment, house or shelter usually housing a family or unit.
Home: Something Tripp has provided me with for the past seven years. For all these Summers, I have felt comfort in turning onto Tripp Lake Camp Road because I know that I am returning home. Even though I am not blood related to anyone at camp, I have never felt a greater sense of family and security in my entire life as I have here. Alex
Maine (noun): A state in the NE United States, on the Atlantic Coast; 33,215 square miles.
Maine: A place I was able to return to Summer after Summer. Even though it’s miles away from Glencoe, IL, I consider Poland, ME, my real home. It scares me to know that I won’t be able to return to this beautiful state I’ve grown so close to anytime soon. The pine trees, lakes and mountains have provided me with an escape from the busy and high pressure lifestyle we all lead. I appreciate all of the trips we are lucky enough to go on around Maine to connect to this state even more. Never in my life would I be going on a hike to Mount Pleasant, but because I’ve had that experience I have a much greater appreciation for the place I’ve been fortunate enough to call home for the last seven years. Hillary
Camp (noun): A place in the country for recreation or instruction often during the summer.
Camp: Is much more than that. It’s the walks around campus, the cheering in the dining hall, the laughs shared with your friends and the smiles during cookie line. It cannot be defined in a dictionary. Camp is a feeling and that feeling is un-explainable. Alexa
Time (noun): Indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which events succeed one another.
Time: What makes camp so special but makes it so hard to leave. Days feel like weeks and weeks feel like days here. It’s what we cry over and would do anything to control. The more time I spend here the more I learn how much I need to cherish it. The 49 out of 365 days that I spend here mean more to me than any other day I’ve spent anywhere else and the fact that time is so limited is what makes each moment so precious. With almost nine years behind me and two weeks ahead, I couldn’t be more thankful but I wish I could have just a little more time. Caleigh
Friendship (noun): The state of being friends.
Friendship: It’s not just that. They don’t lie when they say ‘your friends here at Tripp Lake are special and dear.’ Friendships formed here are the ones I hold closest to my heart. Even though I only see my camp friends for two months of the year, I still consider my relationships with them the strongest, and no matter how much time has gone by without seeing them, we can always pick up right where we left off. In my last two weeks of camp, I must cherish the time that we have together in this sacred place, but I know my friendships with my eighteen best friends will never die. Pierce
Love (noun): A feeling of strong of constant affection for a person.
Love: In this case, it is not only the people who surround me, but the place. While at Tripp Lake, I feel loved by everyone around me. Admin, counselors, campers, 1AB. In all my nine years in this beautiful place, I have never felt more attached to the people and surroundings because of the love that is provided and shown within this bubble. Now, realizing that there are only 14 days left, I have to unattached myself from this comfort zone. I love walking up from the tennis courts up to cookie line with my best friends. I love cheering on all of my fellow campers in swim meets. Although in just the blink of an eye, these experiences will become memories, the love for my eighteen sisters and Tripp Lake Camp itself will never be forgotten. Caroline
