Camp Green Lane 100th Summer Blog, August 9th

Today is kind of the worst. And also kind of the best.

After breakfast this morning, everyone headed back to their cabins to pack. They went through every drawer and cubby. They took pictures off the walls and put racquets, gloves, and balls into their trunks. They found the friend’s shorts they borrowed for the Olympic dance and forgot to return, making sure they finally made their way back to their rightful owner. They packed the stuffed animal they won at Dorney and the hot dog hat they bought at the Iron Pigs.

In short, they packed up all the memories of a jam-packed summer and stuffed them into trunks and duffles before hauling everything outside to be sorted for pickup.

Walking down the rows and across the hills, all you see are lines of trunks, each one marked with a brightly colored embroidered name. And while the contents of those trunks making their way home are the things that make a summer at camp possible (we all need clothes and toiletries, I suppose), it’s what the campers will carry off the bus with them that will really tell the story of their summer.

The friendships. The inside jokes. The confidence. The independence. The songs they learned and the ones they made up. The victories and the losses. The moments they’ll remember forever and the ones they don’t even realize yet will become some of their favorites.

Blah. Sorry to be a vibe killer, but seeing the trunks outside always hits me right in the feels. There’s something about those rows of packed trunks that makes it very, very real: summer is ending.

Good thing tonight is Cabaret to help turn that frown upside down.

For our first-time families, Cabaret is the last dance of the summer – and so much more. Our Sigma and Delta campers (but mostly Sigma!) have been working in secret all summer on a theme and artwork to transform the dining hall into something completely amazing. Past themes have included Mardi Gras, Broadway, and The Wizard of Oz, so there’s no telling what they have up their sleeves this year.

Campers and counselors will come in shifts, enjoy an incredible buffet dinner (rumor has it there will be cheesesteak egg rolls, among other delicacies, this year!), served by our oldest campers. They’ll take a spin through the photo booth, head back to their cabins to get dressed, and then make their way to BB1 for the dance.

And so, while the mood may have been a little somber this morning, tonight will be anything but. There will be music, dancing, food, laughter, approximately 8,000 photos, and one more chance to celebrate the summer together.

The trunks may be packed.

But the memories?

Those are coming home with them.

— Aunt Robin