The Sari Diaries- Sunday 7/26/15

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

As the week comes to a close, and I sit at my desk reflecting on all that has happened, I am flabbergasted that in less than twenty days, the best summer of our lives thus far will be over. Some of you might be thinking that it’s only the end of week one for our second session campers, but I am here to tell you that these last three weeks are always a blur…they go fast, they are jam-packed with action and they are amazing. In terms of this week and specifically today though, it has been simply divine. Feel free to read below to find out why…

1. This morning was our delicious Sunday morning brunch. While I typically make the scrambles, Dr Berger stepped in for me. I think I am pretty good on the tilt skillet but he had some real skills and I feel confident that his scrambles will be missed next Sunday. In addition to Ron in the kitchen, we had Jack and Amy both helping as runners from the kitchen into the main lodge. Ruth’s special was an Apple Pie Pancake and it was quite popular among our campers. Most of the alumni visitors stopped in at breakfast as well because let’s be honest…the Chippy Sunday brunch is as good as any brunch around! One of the visitors commented that the chocolate chip banana pancake was the most delicious pancake ever…I’d say it was a successful morning!

2. Today was town day and so we loaded up four school buses and headed into Minocqua this morning. I always love when Chippies flood the town and bop around from restaurants to stores as cabin groups happy as could be. I started in the sushi restaurant with A-Frame and Horseshoe. I was invited to sit with Horseshoe and I loved just hanging and listening to their very amusing conversations! I stopped by Alexander’s to see Boots and Blackfoot eating pizza and playing some arcade games which was super cute. In the fudge shop, campers enjoyed some sweets and in Monkey Business, there were some chachkes bought and the entire time I was entertained by the joy our campers had in walking around in the “real world.” It’s so funny that while we are in this bubble that is #TheRanch2015, we easily forget what it’s like to use real money to buy things, to wait at a traffic crossing to cross the street and to see humans who do not live at 8258 County O. Everyone made the transition well today but I think it’s safe to say that after a fun time in town, we were all happy to head back to our summer home.

3. Big and Lil Sis Night was a huge success this evening. The CITs have been working hard to plan a program that was even better than first session and I think it’s safe to say that they accomplished this. There were signs and bracelets made, eggs tossed, tunes named, obstacle courses completed while blindfolded and Cathy’s eaten. Big and little sisters coordinated their outfits and have spent a ton of time this week preparing for the big night. As big and little sister pairs ran around camp hand in hand, I was reminded of what a special program this is. The obvious plus side is how cool it is for a little sister to have an older camper in camp who takes such a genuine interest in her. This can be someone that she goes to when she wants to share happy things or when she needs some advice…I still remember my big sister from my first summer in 1993. I am pretty sure we didn’t win Big and Little Sis night, but I remember thinking it was so awesome to have a friend in Lakeview and that she introduced me to her parents at visiting weekend. As a ten year-old camper, that meant so much to me…so much that I still remember it 22 years later! In addition to the impact that this has on the little sister, it is also quite significant for the big sister. These big sisters have made a commitment to help enhance another camper’s experience and that is huge for our older campers. It is incredible how seriously they take their jobs and I truly believe that they love filling the role of Chippewa Big Sister! Anyways, I digress…the winners of the evening were Alex M & Charlotte A and Lauren G & Molly P. The CITs planned and implemented a flawless evening and we so appreciate all of their hard work!

And there you have it…we are living in the most beautiful place on the planet, with the best people in the world and we are loving every second of it! That’s all for today but check back tomorrow for another update. Thanks for reading!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari