The Sari Diaries- Wednesday 6/20/18

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

Wow- I honestly don’t even know where to begin. This day was incredible from start to finish and I am excited to share the details of it with you. So here it goes…

This morning’s wake-up featured the first “Seven Wonders Quiz” of the 2018 season and it was highly attended. Raleigh D came up big for her cabin by getting through two rounds! For those of you who don’t know, getting to round three guarantees canteen for your entire cabin. I truly believe there is no better way to wake-up than to the intro music of this game show…the excitement can get anybody out of bed :).

This morning regular activities officially began. Walking around camp was amazing- from the tennis courts to the archery range and everywhere in between, campers were engaged and having fun. The reviews were incredibly positive from campers- the new horse Hot Shot is already a favorite and Hip Hop Aerobics was a hit! After second period, Dylan G, Sophie S and Avery R stopped by the office. They had just come from skiing and were eager to report that they all got up!

Today at lunch, I had the privilege of sitting with the cabin of Timber Walk. We chatted about our mornings, and I got to hear all about their activities. In cooking, they made chocolate covered pretzels, at swimming, they were surprised by how warm the lake was and their arms hurt from all of the paddling they were doing at SUP. Their enthusiasm toward their activities was definitely indicative of the successful planning and implementation from our staff…just another sign that #TheRanchStaff2018 rock!

At the end of lunch, Helen Edelson announced that Ivy F got up and around the lake on one ski today! That is an incredible accomplishment at any point in the summer, but on the first day of activities, that is basically unheard of!

We had our Big and Little Sister BBQ tonight at dinner. It was quite the cute scene…big and little sisters sat together while enjoying hamburgers, hotdogs, veggie burgers etc. The little sisters were, of course, enamored with their big sisters and so happy to be spending time with them. One of the coolest parts of it though was that the big sisters looked equally as happy to be hanging out with their little sisters. Asking them questions, sharing stories of their camp experiences and genuinely taking an interest in their little sisters. I have to imagine that this is one of the few communities…possibly in the world…where a fifteen year-old is not only willing but excited to spend time with an eight year-old. Our older campers take such pride in Chippewa and feel a responsibility to pass on The Chippewa Experience to those younger than them.

The evening program was Staff Show and it was one for the history books. As Kato expressed, “It was an epic staff show.” There were many different acts that entertained the crowd. Cliff performed “Right Field” as the entire camp sang along, the male staff had an act that was…interesting, staff siblings did a dance to “I am The Cute One,” and the senior staff performed their traditional dances (“She’s In Love With a Boy,” “Move This,” and “Your Man”). Campers cheered for their counselors and were high-fiving everyone on their way off stage- it was awesome.

And then, the first Chippy Dance Party of the summer began. The music came on, the lights went crazy and we danced! The theater was booming as cabins danced together and screamed at the top of their lungs. It was the perfect way to end a fantastic day!

I could go on and on about today…for real, it was just that kind of day. The kind of day when I found myself stopping to acknowledge how lucky we are to spend our summer at #TheRanch2018. We are only three days in but I can already say with extreme confidence that this combination of people- campers and staff alike- is exactly the right mix for the best summer ever.

Okay, that’s a wrap. Thanks for reading- have a wonderful evening!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari