MP here.  It’s 7am Sunday morning, and camp is eerily quiet.  I just turned on my coffee maker.  Other than Ducky and Timmy asleep in their cabins, camp is empty.  Post Camp ended Friday morning, and the rest of our staff left Saturday.  Suzi and I leave today.  For us, the summer of 2012 ends today.  It’s seems like a blur, like I arrived here yesterday, yet at the same time, all the memories and special moments with campers and staff seems like it all happened a year ago.  The summer of 2012 is now last years summer.  Very strange.  So as I sit here typing, I thought I would reflect on both this past week and this past summer.

What can I say about Post Camp.  If you haven’t experienced it, you are missing out.  It is truly a wonderful week, and a wonderful way to end the summer.  Where we live for summer camp, Post Camp families look forward to rekindling their Agawak memories and friendships just as much..  We would also like to thank our staff that worked so hard to help run our programs.  Saying goodbye to you on Saturday morning was harder than you know.  This week’s added bonus was, for me, the return of many of our old staff.  Margo Silver, Emily Coleman, Jenn Toth, Dewey Keate, and Sari Freeman, these girls were on staff my first few years.  They were the administration, the leaders, the excitement, and the lifeblood of camp.  Now, they are all married with kids.  Sorry, I still don’t refer to them by their married names because to me,  they are who they are, which is amazing people.  They were so important to camp, and camp was important to them.  So I now think, where will our staff of today be in a decade?  What impact will camp have on you, and more importantly, what impact will you have on camp?  Not that I want it to happen TOO soon, but I can’t wait to see where life takes you.  Which campers of today will be filling our present day staff’s shoes.  I can’t believe I just finished my 17^th summer.

As I reflect on this past summer, the moments that stay with me are the small personal connections.  The conversations with either campers or staff.  Like Nikki S. stuffing the camper or counselor of the day box with my name, wanting me to be guy of the day.  There is no guy of the day, I tell her.  She doesn’t care.  I took one of her last tries out of the box and have it hanging in my cabin.  That’s more than enough for me.  Thanks Nikki!!!!  Or Hailey K. coming up to me, it seemed like almost daily, asking if she could ski again today.  If I said no, it’s not an activity day, out came the pout lip!!!  Ug.  And then at the awards ceremony, she asked, am I skier of the year?  No, I said.  Pout lip!  Back turned!!  But hey, keep your ears open, I say.  She won most improved skier, our only other ski award.  After the ceremony I get a BIG HUG and a thank you.  I also get a big smile on my face.  Thank you Hailey.  Or something small like Suzi and I walking down a path and someone shouting, Hey Mom and Dad!  It was Chilow.  Thanks Lauren.  Sometimes I had to talk to some counselors who, well, needed a talking to.  The conversations may have begun with me using my serious voice, but what I remember is the dialogue, how we worked through and resolved the issue, and how they became better counselors.  What I remember best about those discussions is the mutual respect and bond that is formed.  Seeing our girls growing up and tackling responsibility, those moments that, when you witness them, you don’t forget.  We truly have the best in the world!!!

So now Suzi and I are drinking our last cup of coffee, packing away our stuff, loading the car, and soon we will be pulling out of our summer home for the last time in 2012.  And while physically we may be leaving camp, our memories will return, and often, to this past summer.  Suzi and I are already jotting down notes, and looking forward to driving into camp in 2013!

As I wrap this up, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a big shout out to Mary, Becker, Liz, Chris, Rachel, Emily, Brandon, Ducky, and Timmy.  You guys are the best, and Suzi and I love you all, and our love for you is only slightly less than our respect for you.  Thank you all.  We will miss you, until next summer!!!!

MP