NEA I, And now from Cat and Tony…

Hello from the New England Adventure!
Our trusty friend Lou has tracked us down in the woods of Pawtuckaway State Park and forced a computer into our hands so that we can let you know how your sons and daughters are faring on our trip. We are having an amazing time – we couldn’t be happier with our group and have lucked out big time with the weather, seeing only one rainy day - which didn’t dampen the spirits of our group – we even canoed 14 miles through it! The past three days we have spent rock climbing at Square Ledge, (opposite Mt. Washington – what a view!) and also here at Pawtuckaway in southern New Hampshire. Tomorrow we pack up and start heading up the coast of Maine, in order to begin our sea kayaking, before driving back towards New Hampshire. Everyone has been having a great time, our student-chosen and student-directed meals have been wonderful (stuffed peppers, Mexican feasts, and chicken stir-frys...we’ve been eating well!) and the van rides have seemed short with all the jokes and songs. Below are some very short updates on our students – we know you’re hanging out for news, hopefully this will fill in some gaps before they call on the 18th!
All the best,
Cat and Tony.


Cal is a continuous source of enjoyment and wonder for the whole group. His active imagination has kept us entertained, and his ability to think clearly and express meaningfully what he is feeling is a great talent. He excelled at climbing; finding holds where others could not, and virtually running up the walls to the top. He can often be found exploring in the woods, or looking for bugs, puppies, and other exciting things…

Jaz LOVED climbing. She was SO excited to reach the top of the walls, and was extremely proud of herself. We’ve really enjoyed seeing her interact with the group in constructive and meaningful ways; she is often the voice of reason within group discussions, and also often the one laughing the loudest in any game or fun time.

James is often found behind the lens of his camera, and has taken some amazing shots of our adventures. He is always positive and ready to talk about anything, whether it be world issues, or whether deep-dish or thin-crust pizza is better. He rose admirably to the challenge of climbing and rappelling; although nervous at first, he pushed through the fear and climbed like a champion.

Simone makes this look easy. She is never phased, always positive and always looking for more ways to challenge herself. She is a rockstar in our group, always smiling, always helping, always hanging out with everyone and ready to go again. She loved climbing, getting to the top with grace and style – just as she does everything else.

Christian has continued to impress us with his maturity and self-awareness. He’s having a great time climbing and hanging out in Pawtuckaway State Park, and is immersing himself more fully in our communal living. We’ve been enjoying seeing him enjoy himself even more.

Sam has been challenging himself by teaching others skills he already knows. He has really enjoyed furthering his skills in climbing and belaying, and is a respected and well-liked group member. We’ve really enjoyed his knowledge and awareness of the wilderness, and the group has benefited from his presence. He’s started to really let his hair down and is having a great time with the group.

Noah continues to impress us with his inter-personal skills; he gets on well with everyone in the group and is very responsive to the needs of those around him. As we write this, he is putting together a feast of burritos (or ‘burnt toast’, as he has taken to calling the meal) for the group, helping two other boys co-ordinate the meal admirably. He had a great time climbing, trying the harder climbs, and supporting other members of the group as they were on the wall.

Ian has continued to amaze us with his wonderful grasp of people and his understanding of how group dynamics. His ability to overcome personal challenges and remain in high spirits throughout the trip shows great courage and personal awareness, and although he takes time most days to journal, he is an active part of our group. He has had a great sense of achievement in rappelling and climbing, and worked very hard to reach the top on our hardest climb!

Mazin has continued to entertain us with his wit and humor. He really challenged himself climbing and progressed an enormous amount over our three days; from refusing to even tie into a rope on our first day to climbing more than 15 feet off the ground and being lowered down from the climb on our last. His willingness to face a personal fear in this way has impressed the whole group.

Well…that’s all for now. Our group will be setting out to sea kayak and then make their way back to New Hampshire, spend a day doing community service on a local farm, then clean up their group gear, have a nice final banquet, and close up the program here at Windsor Mountain on July 23rd.

We will send one last email update with reminders about pick-up times and other end-of-trip details.