Reflections on Towanda

Sitting in my Boston apartment, I thought to myself, "I really should get back on that blog thing." So, that's what I'm doing. It looks like the last time I posted was sometime in May, which seems like forever ago. Here's the quick recap of my life since then: I went to camp, I sat at home, I saw Jason Mraz in concert, school hasn't started...that was easy enough. There will be a series of posts in the near future describing each of these, but today is dedicated to the greatest place on earth. 

It's been said that our lives could be divided into chapters, each ending and starting with a moment or place or person that has had a major impact on us in some way. In my case it was this summer up at Camp Timberlane, my home away from home. This summer was special. And that's an understatement. I have to believe that this summer was meant as a transitional time for me to begin my second half of my college career. I came back from the north woods feeling more grounded, grateful and ready than ever. Life has a funny way of helping you realize this stuff. Despite the ups and downs of the roller coaster that we're constantly on, it always seems to come back to somewhere neutral where you can look back and figure out what the f**k just happened. This summer I made more connections than ever before, with people of many ages. Friendships I had lost were rekindled, friendships I previously had grew stronger, and I learned so much from the kids that I met and had a chance to spend time with. If we're talking details, I played a lot of music, drove a lot of boats, and taught a lot of improv. There are a lot of things that make me smile, proud, happy, excited, all that stuff, but I felt so blessed that I got to do feel that again and again this summer. Campers getting up on skis for the first time, a kid playing his first song at a campfire, or a quiet camper going on stage and making the whole Rec Hall boom with laughter. THAT'S the best part of being a counselor and that's why I do it. 

So the lesson here is this; life has it's ups and downs, but what's important is being able to reflect and recognize what's come of everything. Being grateful (as always) is the best medicine and the best tool for realizing how blessed we are, even when we're at our lowest. Sometimes our happiest moments can come from recognizing the greatness of others and it important to be grateful to have been a witness, a part, or an aid in that shining moment. 

Needless to say, I did play a ton of music this summer and did my best to accommodate the needs of campers and staff when it came to song or style requests. I've put together a group of videos below of songs I played this summer. It's not me playing them, but it's versions I like. Hopefully (fingers crossed) I'll start uploading videos of some of my own stuff, which I'll be happy to share with you. For now, enjoy what's belooooow.