Summer Reflections from Haley! 

Being a counselor is the best job in the world. Take minute to find out why we feel that way. 

Last summer, during the last week, of my first summer of being a camp counselor I had a recurring thought, “Is it possible to miss a place that you haven’t even left yet?” Surely it wasn’t possible for me to get so attached to a place that I had only known for a total of 3 months. I know now that the answer to my question was “yes”.  Working at a camp, you are told about the impact that you will have on your campers lives, but I was never prepared for the impact that camp would have on mine. It was profound.

Summer camp is a place that it is easy to be your best self. It’s a place where you come as you are and that’s all anyone expects. It’s a place where bonds grow faster than I’ve ever seen, in an environment so different from your outside world that it is shocking how quickly it feels like home.

I feel myself missing camp, my campers, my fellow staff, and all the memories that we were able to fit into those short 8 weeks more often than not. It’s hard to describe the “magic” of camp, but it’s undoubtedly there. It’s in the air at campfire, inside of campers when they conquer the high ropes course, in the chants at meals, in the tie dye sitting outside to dry, and it sticks around for long after you leave. For a child to go to camp is a tremendous opportunity, they will be able to spend a week in an environment where they’re active, trying new things, and accepted just how they are. To work at a camp is not only a job, but a privilege; you are given the opportunity to change lives – both your campers and your own.

More Than A Summer Camp

Want to learn more about what happens at camp outside of summer? Read on!

That's right. Mystic Lake creates wonderful memories and builds strong relationships outside the warm sunny months of summer. We run Outdoor Education classes for many schools from all over Michigan. Most schools come for a three day, two night, experience either from Monday-Wednesday or Wednesday-Friday. On these trips we try to fit as much camp magic into their stay as we can.

Most of their trips start with the traditional sing-song camp welcome and is followed by settling into their cabins and coming down for lunch. Once we are finished with lunch then the real fun begins. We will organize by travel groups on the front porch and one of the amazing staff will lead them to their first outdoor education experience. These experiences are the main reasons that schools want to bring their children to Camp. In just a short three days time kids can experience a wide range of Outdoor Education classes. They can learn about the native wildlife and capture and identify dozens of aquatic wildlife in our Pond Study class. Team challenge course is a place at camp that allows kids to grow their communication skills, team building, problem solving, and building confidence in themselves all while they think they are just having fun! Staff can lead kids out to our own private bog where they can learn about the pitcher plant, lambs ear, wintergreen, oak, pine, birch, maple, animal tracks, the difference between a bog and a lake, and of course a little bit about our legendary BRUNO!

There are so many other fun and educational classes that we offer but the day time is just the beginning. A lot of our outdoor education kids tell us that their favorite times at camp are our evening programs. Going on night hikes, winning dutch auctions, planning and performing for skit nights are just a few of the traditional evening programs we run here at Mystic Lake in the school year. But the things we hear kids talk about the most are learning how to square dance to both traditional square dance songs and some music of their taste from the pop top 40's, and enjoying S'mores at a campfire followed by the oration of the Legend of Bruno!

But unfortunately all good things must come to an end. Once all of the luggage is packed, all of the kids are on the bus and the engines are rumbling, it comes time to wave goodbye. This usually takes the image of the Mystic staff singing our farewell song as the kids are smiling and waving out of the bus windows yelling "goodbye" or singing their favorite song from the campfire the night before. For the kids their time at camp has come to a close, but for the staff we clean up camp, dust ourselves off, and do it all over again.