Hey everybody! I just got back from my 12th and final year as a camper at Camp Winfield! It was so hard for me to leave the wonderful camp that I've been attending since I was six years old and have loved so much! This year was the prefect year to top it all off! I had wonderful councillors, Suzy and Kaitlyn, and best friends Grace and Carrisa were both in my group. Grace and I haven't seen Carrisa in a couple years, so it was lovely for us to catch up with her again. We talked like we never left eachothe. We spent a lot of time together as a threesome this week, and on rest breaks we would have little"girl talks" . It was wonderful. We really came together this year. Grace and I got to have quality time together too, which was great. We love sharing the magic of camp withe eachother. We really bonded well with Kaitlyn and Suzie, who were awesome, as the councillors always are, as well as all the other campers and camp staff. I think all the camp grads really knew it was their last year at Winfield and we all tried to come together as a group and tried to bond as much as we could. There were tons of highlights of this week. It was the first year I made it to both the to of the "big swing" and to the top of the climbing wall. Those were pretty big achievements for my grad year, I felt. Haha! When we had our camp out night, Grace slept in a tent with Carrisa and I. Sleeping in a tent is hard for Grace but she persevered and decided to camp out with us. That was her big accomplishment and Carrisas was singing at the Open House talent show this year . She really wants to make a career out of her singing so she will take any practise she can get.
I also Remember Camp Winfield's famous sock fighting competition where all the councillors wear only one sock, they all go out into the yard and run after each other, trying to get socks off as many people as they can. The last councillor with there sock on wins.. It is halarious. Ahhh... So many memories.... memories of hanging out as a group and laughing our heads off, drinking ice coffees on the dining hall deck that Susie and Kaitlyn made us, and running around the whole camp going crazy off the caffeine and figuring out whatever mischief we could get into. To wrap up the week, as tradition, all the grads got to stay up all night after Banquet on night 7. It was a memorable, magical evening for Carrisa, Grace and myself. We watched movies, ate junk food, and tried to soak in the significant last moment the three of us would have as campers of Winfield. It was bittersweet moment, and believe me, we tried to make it last as long as we could, but we gave up at midnight, whitch, in my defense, was 1:00 Inveremere time, so I did make it up to the wee hours... Ha ha!
Like I said, it was be incredibly hard to say goodbye to Winfield. It is a truly special place, and I guess you can only go there and see for yourself to understand what I mean. I have been blessed to have great experiences in my home life, but some campers it isn't the same story. Camp Winfield is like a second home for many of us where we feel like we can finally breathe again and be ourselves. For once, we don't feel singled out. There are wheelchairs all over the place. it's wheelchair city! Strolling down the sidewalks of camp feels like we're strolling down a red carpet that was just made for us I have some thank yous that I feel I owe to the many people who made my camp experiences perfect! Thankyou to the councillors and other staff at camp for your continuous energy and smiles and for jumping in and knowing exacty how to care for each camper from hour one. Thankyou to all the programmers and staff who go behind the scence to make the magic happen. Thankyou to the other campers who inspire me each year with great attitudes and for being my friends. Thankyou to Grace Mariah Brulotte and Carrisa Lawrie for your shared friendship throughout the years. You two are the only two teenagers I feel I can truly be myself with. Thankyou to Invermere Lions for donating money to the camp each year and for sending me each year! Your donations are worth every penny! Thankyou to Patti Cowles for attending camp with me on my very first year and giving me the confidence boost to return on my own in the upcoming years. Thankyou to my mom who made that crazy 6hr drive every year. It was a big day, but I know you knew how much camp meant to me. I Love you! And, last but no least, Thankyou to Winfield for truly being the best place on earth. I did graduate this year, but who knows, I may not be finished with you yet. You'll just have to wait and see...
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