It can take some time after camp ends to reflect on the experience. Camp life is so completely absorbing, it helps to have a little distance from it to really understand what it meant. Back home, we can see our time at camp differently, perhaps see more clearly how it was special, how it was more than just fun.

My first thought is to be incredibly thankful for the summer, for the joy of being together at Rockbrook. It’s hard to imagine a more incredible community of friendly caring people, all contributing to the lovely spirit that defines Rockbrook. From the cabin counselors and activity instructors to the kitchen, nursing, and maintenance staff, I’m so grateful for everyone’s kind attention to making camp this summer great. I also want to celebrate our amazing campers, the bright enthusiastic kiddos that enliven everything we do. Every day, I was impressed by their love of camp, their full embrace of the many adventures to be found here. We always say it; it’s the people that make Rockbrook. Thank you everyone!

Next, I’d say it was remarkable how both the campers and counselors grew personally from their Rockbrook experience this summer. Camp provides exactly the kind of refuge (It’s a haven!) young people need to relax and be themselves, explore new experiences, and develop all kinds of real-world skills. We watched shy campers find their voices during evening programs, saw new friendships form through simple face-to-face conversations, and newfound confidence and independence blossom beautifully. Along with all the laughter, alongside all the muffins, and dressed in the silliest costumes, girls discovered their own resilience, creativity, and capacity for kindness. Camp life simply fosters our best selves each and every day.

Now back at home, as the rhythms of regular life return, my hope is that our best selves can still shine. Let’s be the sort of friend we were at camp— caring and curious. Let’s look past what’s obvious and find the magic in even the simplest things. Let’s remember that who we are is strengthened through our relationships with others. We all know that being at camp feels really good, and we can certainly look forward to returning next summer. But in the meantime, our camp experience can inspire and guide us to connect and enjoy life more.

Thank you again to everyone who made this summer such an unforgettable success. Every summer the Spirit of Rockbrook deepens. Thank you for being a part of that.

For some it was their first banquet, but most everyone else this was their favorite night of camp, the night when we celebrate with costumes, dancing and a surprise themed party for the whole camp. It’s the Banquet! All of the 9th grader CAs this session planned the party, choosing the theme on the first day, and then designing all aspects of the event from the costumes, to the food, to the skits and dances, and of course the many decorations. Their goal was to transform the dining hall into something completely unique, an unexpected surprise of colorful and festive painted panels, lighting and table decorations.

The theme for our third session banquet? “Enchanted Hollow,” and it was magical! Stepping through the doors of the dining hall felt like entering a secret woodland glade where fairies live, colors glow, and every leaf and flower sparkled. Twinkling lights, twisty garlands and vines, streamers, and so many fairies made it all come alive.

There were two clans of fairies, the “good fairies” and the “fallen fairies.” They were locked in a struggle over stolen “pixie dust” that could only be settled by a dance-off between the two clans. Along with a regal Queen Fairy and a Woodland Bunny all was resolved with the counselors, dressed as graceful butterflies and fluttering moths, adding charm to the scene. All of these costumes were colorful and unique.

Between the scenes of this tale of fairies in the enchanted hollow, all of the campers celebrated by dancing to high-energy pop songs, laughing and cheering.

In true banquet tradition, the meal was woven into the theme as well. We enjoyed “Tink’s Tots,” “Pixie Berries,” “Dragon Tails,” “Sunshine Salad,” and “Bunny (Rockbrookie) Cookies” for dessert. The silver sugar decorating the Rockbrookies really fit the enchanted theme.

This was another banquet where every painted panel, costume, and skit was a product of hard work and close collaboration by the CA campers and their counselors. It’s remarkable to see how much detail the girls can fit into every surface and moment during the party. Their shared focus and creativity really brought the banquet to life, making it a special experience.

The night ended, as it always does, with the CAs singing to their counselors and receiving songs in return… a Rockbrook tradition that is both joyful and bittersweet. After all the dancing, the laughter, and the celebrating, this was an unforgettable enchanted night. Thank you CAs!

Sometimes the weather is worth talking about. Like now, here at Rockbrook. We’re seeing a very unusual few days of cooler temperatures and misty light rain. Instead of 80s during the day we have 60s, and instead of the occasional thunderstorm rolling through, we have grey misty skies blanketing the mountains. Here’s an interesting chart of data from the Rockbrook weather station that shows the contrast. It looks like this slow moving front will be with us for a while.

I should mention that flooding is not a worry we have here at Rockbrook. While the French Broad river adjoins the horseback riding area, all of our camp buildings are further up the hill (more than 100 feet higher in elevation) safely away from the flood zone of the river. The record setting flood level caused by hurricane Helene last fall only touched one of our barns causing no damage. For us, this kind of rain increases the flow of our creeks and improves the waterfalls we can visit, but over the years, we’ve learned to channel rain water through culverts and down various gutters and ditches. The camp facilities do quite well, even with what seems like a lot of rain.

The people at camp are well too! We’re making good use of long-sleeve sweatshirts and hoodies, and finding rain coats and shoes that are OK to get wet. Despite this “heavy dew,” the girls are still zipping around camp to their activities, still being creative, playing and enjoying each other’s company. All of our craft activities have continued as normal since they already meet in covered spaces, with the gym and dining hall becoming central locations for groups of girls who would have been outdoors (like swimming, for example). We’ve built fires in the fireplaces of the three lodges at camp to create cozy spots to warm up and hang out. We served hot chocolate during muffin break this morning.

We’ve taken some trips too. A few girls hiked out to Rockbrook Falls, and a couple of groups still navigated the zipline course, flying by through the drizzle and mist. Another group carried hammocks on a hike up to an area we call “The Nest.” This is a unique spot under Castle Rock where there is an overhang sheltering you from the rain. We added special hangers for the hammocks there allowing the girls to set up a “nest” and enjoy amazing views of the forest (totally dry!).

This weather, despite it being a little uncomfortable, invites us to shift gears a little while still feeling like a regular part of camp life. The girls here show their grit and carry on, some completely oblivious to the differences. The girls are loving the freedom to be outside, to get a little wet and maybe a little muddy. They’re immersed in nature in a way that makes everything feel more vibrant and real. Most importantly, they’re with their friends, having a chance to sit a little closer and savor just being together. Having time like that, away from their usual sources of entertainment, is something they crave.

Take a look at this article in the Atlantic, and you’ll see what I mean. “What Kids Told Us About How to Get Them Off Their Phones,” By Lenore Skenazy, Zach Rausch, and Jonathan Haidt. Here’s the punch line: they want more freedom out in the real world to be with their friends. The authors claim our kids need more time with real friends in the real world.

Hmmm… Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Let’s be grateful camp provides exactly that.

Rockbrook Camp alumnae will tell you there’s one special all-camp event that gets campers more excited than any other, and that’s the dance with Camp Carolina. It’s been a long tradition stretching back to the 1940s that gets the girls of Rockbrook and the boys of Camp Carolina together once a session for a camp dance. Last night we continued that tradition of big excitement for a big night out with the CCB boys… a night for dancing!

Both to tease the idea and to minimize over-preparation, we keep the exact day of the scheduled dance a secret. It’s more fun to keep the girls guessing, and we don’t want the event to be too serious. Just the opposite! We want it to be silly, light-hearted and fun! That’s why you’ll see our counselors dressed up in wild costumes, and the girls wearing plenty of shorts, tie-dye t-shirts, traffic vests, and even animal print pajamas. The older girls spend more time brushing their hair, but “getting ready” essentially means finding a clean shirt or putting on something brought especially for the dance.

For years now we’ve held two dances simultaneously, dividing the children into older and younger groups, and allowing the girls to feel more comfortable around boys their own age. The Senior girls and Hi-Ups loaded up our buses and vans to travel to Camp Carolina for their dance, while the youngest boys came to Rockbrook for a dance with our Middlers and Juniors in our gym. At Rockbrook, we had our friend Marcus (aka, DJ Dawg) spin up the music.

Both dances last night were a blast! As favorite pop songs followed one after another, the crowd jumped and sang along, mixing with screams of excitement. The playlist included classics like “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield, and the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.”, plus well-known group choreographed dances like the “Cha Cha Slide” and the “Macarena.”

For the most part, the younger girls have groovier dance moves to show off, with limbs fluttering, flashy twirls and shakes. The older girls prefer a simple move of jumping up and down to the beat of the music, clustered together and with hands raised high. Everyone is laughing and smiling, enjoying themselves only to take short water breaks or to enjoy a homemade Rockbrook cookie.

Our dances proved once again that these events aren’t all about the boys. Sure, they are to one degree or another “interesting” to the girls, but it’s the zany energy of our Rockbrook girls that brings the fun. For both the younger and the older girls, the dance means grabbing a friend, or a group of friends, sticking together and letting loose to the music. There’s an impressive power to this when you have the right conditions to let it out. Camp dances do exactly that.

We wrapped up the dances around 8:45 p.m. Even after about an hour of jumping around, the girls were reluctant to stop the party. On the ride home, the older girls were about as excited as you’ll ever see them. It was non-stop chatter on the bus, comments about “yo-yo boy,” the music, and how “it smelled funny in there.” Still, I could tell everyone seemed to have really enjoyed our night of dancing.

Thanks CCB! We had a great time with you all!

Summertime can be hot, as I’m sure most of you are experiencing firsthand these last few days. The same is true here at Rockbrook where the daytime high temperatures have been in the upper 80s, even hitting 91 Monday and Tuesday (which is unseasonably warm). The great news about camp is that we have plenty of ways to stay cool even through the hottest summer days.

For example, our swimming lake is always a popular place to be. A mountain stream constantly refreshes the water keeping it delightfully chilly. The girls love doing tricks off the diving board, zooming down the 60-foot waterslide, swimming “mermaid laps,” and just goofing around in one of the many floats. In addition to the swimming activity periods during the day, there are two “free swim” times (one before lunch and the other before dinner) when anyone can head down to the lake for a dip.

Another place to cool off at camp is in the creek that runs through the center of camp, in front of the Goodwill cabin and behind the Curosty cabin. This creek, along with Dunns Creek that feeds our lake, is another favorite spot. You’re bound to find campers with their feet in these creeks. They might be weaving a basket, working on a painting or drawing, or looking for salamanders in the WHOA activity. Some girls just like to sit near the creek when they have free time, reading or tying knots in a friendship bracelet.

Whitewater rafting is a more adventurous way to cool off at camp. Any Middler or Senior who is interested (and who earned a blue swim band) can take a whitewater rafting trip on the Nantahala River. Rockbrook is known as a rafting camp since we take so many girls down the Nantahala. We have a special permit to use our own equipment and guides allowing us to easily take everyone who wants to go. And just about everyone does! It’s a splashy whitewater experience, full of laughing and goofing around. There are plenty of chances to pose for the camera between the rapids stretching along the nine mile section we run. With the water temperature of about 50 degrees, the girls are definitely staying cool!

There’s one more way that I think camp helps the girls here cool off. It’s a bit more abstract, but in some ways more lasting. It’s the cooling off they find from the pressure and stress they often experience at school. Of course this varies from person to person, and is more prevalent in older children, but it seems that kids these days endure a lot. They are subject to a vast array of expectations to perform, thrown into all sorts of competitions, and fed flashy idealized versions of what it means to be successful. Think of what online media is teaching. It might be easy to forget, but it takes work to be a kid, to measure up in these ways. It takes a lot, and our girls can feel that heat.

Fortunately, camp provides a release from all that. Life at Rockbrook is an unburdening for kids. Living mostly outside, away from the lure of technology, as members of an accepting, encouraging community of caring people, being active and engaged in the real world, free to explore, discover and meander with friends —camp is a relief. That’s why the girls will tell you they “feel really good” at Rockbrook, all while having a really great time. That’s what I call pretty cool.

A quick note about mail. Your girls love receiving cards and letters in their mailboxes, but there’s a balance to be found. When it comes to letters to camp, quality beats quantity. Read this article for tips about how to write to your camper. It spells out a few ideas about what to write, and what to avoid writing about. I think you’ll find it helpful.

They say good things are worth the wait, but sometimes that waiting is tough. Like when you’ve had to wait all summer for your camp session to start, or when it’s been almost a whole year since you’ve seen your camp friends, it’s almost torture. We saw many examples of this pent-up anticipation as the girls attending our third session arrived. They fidgeted in the back seat of the car as it inched along the check-in line, each stop seemingly taking far too much time. Some were bobbing up and down out of their car’s skylight along the way. These girls were ready to get started, and finally camp had begun.

The counselors, too, were jumping with excitement eager to welcome their campers to Rockbrook. All morning, under beautiful sunny skies, girls arrived to join their cabin groups and begin setting up their bunks, making beds and organizing trunks. Each group took turns visiting the “spa” to have their hair checked, while others enjoyed walking tours of the main sections of camp. “That’s the path to the Alpine climbing tower, and that’s the way to the woodshop.” The youngest girls, the “Juniors,” visited the camp store to collect the gear they had ordered. You’ll soon see bright new Rockbrook sweatshirts, pajama pants, and water bottles all around camp.

Right away, we could see it happening: an easygoing feeling to those first conversations, to the name games, to the singing of camp songs at the assembly on the hill. After lunch, which featured heaping platters of Rick’s homemade mac-n-cheese, that same feeling added to the refreshment of taking our first dip in the Rockbrook lake. One by one, the girls jumped off the dock, swam and treaded water to demonstrate their swimming ability for the team of lifeguards. With the encouragement from the directors, lifeguards and counselors there helping, these “swim demos” also felt great in the warm afternoon weather.

As we settled down after dinner and enjoyed a sunset over the distant mountains— the hill at camp has a great view for summer sunsets —the girls again seemed at ease. The excitement of every camp activity will start in the morning. For now, everyone could rest in their cabin among new and old friends, breathe in the cool mountain night air, and feel the comfort of finally being here at Rockbrook.