"We [Heart] Canoeing!"

NEA II, UPDATE #1: Adventures in Optimism and Rain

New England Adventure Families and Friends,

Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
I got a chance to meet the NEA II team when they camped at Windswept very close to our home base at WM International Summer Camp. I was really impressed by their smooth team dynamics and overall optimistic attitude. Evidently they have been dealing with some rain, as you will see in the blog photos where their clothes are hanging to dry, but they were excited about what is yet to come and the canoeing and climbing they had done so far.

Student Notes:

Sviatoslav - Had fun canoeing in the rain with Chovi and without a paddle. He loves the physical exercise and is really enjoying all the members in the group.

Chovi – Has faced the challenge of camp life, packing tents, cooking in the woods, and learning more about life outside the comforts of home, but has shined. He’s proud to have overcome his germ-o-phobia and is psyched for the days to come, dirt and all.

Mr. Grubb – Loved rock climbing. He had never done it before, but went for it full steam ahead. His nervousness with heights made him take a few extra breaths, but he made it as far he could on the climbing routes and had a great time doing it.

Naomi – Is so happy she made it as far as she did rock climbing at square ledge. She loved having the chance to dunk her cousin Ari after a hard canoe paddling day on Lake Mooselookmeguntic. Naomi has spent a good amount of time meeting new people and bonding with her peers on the rocks and in the van, and just around everywhere she goes.

Juliet – thought canoeing was great, especially when we had canoe wars and could flip other peoples boats over. She really pushed herself during the climbing portion of the trip and is proud she reached her goals of climbing as far as she did and had a great time doing it.

Ari – really enjoyed the first day of canoeing (with Sage) even though the winds were so strong they got blown off course and needed to have a quick rescue pull back towards the campsite. He had an awesome time repelling down square ledge, through his fears of falling, and he did absolutely fantastic.

Ian – really enjoyed canoeing on Lake Mooselakemeguntic despite the strong winds. He has been a source of knowledge within the group for all things New England. He really enjoyed cooking franks & beans for the group on Student Island.

Alec – despite being the youngest member of the group, and initially a little nervous about camping, has been a stellar group member. He had a great time cruising the waters of Mooselakemeguntic with his bandana firmly attached to his head, & loved the rock climbing & repelling - he was literally dancing on the rock. He is always ready with a joke and is not afraid to throw himself into group life.

Sage – has had a great time making friends in the group. He is always willing to hang out with anyone. He was a wonderful canoe-ist – teaching others rudder & j-stokes, and singing camp songs loudly across the waters. He also excelled at climbing. He is looking forward to our sea kayaking and continuing to hang out with his new friends.

Phil – has been a wonderful group member so far –although he has found certain aspects of the trip challenging (like keeping track of gear!). However, he has truly risen to the occasion. We’ve seen a lot of progress since the start of the trip, and have really enjoyed his observant and insightful nature. Phil is enjoying getting to know the team, and had a great time canoeing & challenging himself with rock climbing – although he was very nervous about the height, he gave it a red hot go!

Livy – is in love with the trip and the group and the places and the activities and the food &… she could just go on forever! She did really well climbing & repelling and enjoyed trying to find her balance while bouldering. She’s been loving hanging out with the other campers, and is excited to cook pancakes for us all for breakfast.

Ally – is a star – she is a wonderful presence within the group. Always ready to help out with group chores or with a hug for someone, she is observant, communicative & respectful of everyone. She had a great time during our canoe wars – hiding under capsized boats & ganging up on the leaders! Although a bit freaked out about repelling, she swallowed the swarm of butterflies in her stomach and told jokes on the way down – showing others how rewarding facing a fear can be!

We will send one last email update with reminders about pick-up times and other end-of-trip details. Keep an eye out as we keep adding to the NEA and our Bridge trip blogs.

WHOA!