ZORA

TODAY'S THE DAY! I've been counting down all month. My bags are packed with all the essentials: -shorts, tank tops, jeans -bathing suit -hiking shoes -sandals -sweaters -and (new this year) my makeup bag! Mum and Dad are driving to the pick up spot with Samson on my lap. I pat his scruffy head. I can't believe I won't get to cuddle my puppy for two whole weeks. Puppies grow so fast. He'll practically be a full grown dog when I see him next. We pull up to the bus and I'm excited to see all my friends from camp and some new faces. Dad throws my bag in the storage compartment and Mum leans in for a hug. She has a little tear in her eye. Suddenly, I realize all the campers are watching and I freeze up! I love my parents but they are so embarassing! Do I [[hug my parents like I always do]] or [[stay cool]] ?

I take a step back from Mum and tell her I'll send her a postcard. I feel a little lump in my throat at the thought of being away from my family, but I swallow it and jump on the bus, excited to sit with my camp BFF's Sarah and Anita. But something is weird. Besides the fact that Anita's hair is purple, they're not sitting together. Anita is sitting by herself in the middle and Sarah is sitting at the back with a super cute boy. Anita smiles her goofy, gap-toothed smile and screams "ZORA! Come sit with me!" Sarah, shines her perfect, glossy smile and says "Hey Zora, your parents are so cute! Come sit here, we saved you a spot". The bus driver yells to take a seat. Where do I sit? At the back of the bus with [[Sarah and the cute boy]] or [[with Anita]] ?

I give Mum a hug. Dad joins and even Samson jumps in for a group hug. I feel a little lump in my throat at the thought of being away from my family. The bus driver points to his watch and I'm barely up the stairs when he pulls away from the curb. I look down the aisle, excited to sit with my camp BFF's Sarah and Anita. But something is weird. Besides the fact that Anita's hair is purple, they're not sitting together. Anita is sitting by herself in the middle and Sarah is sitting at the back with a super cute boy. Anita smiles her goofy, gap-toothed smile and screams "ZORA! Come sit with me!" Sarah, shines her perfect glossy smile and says "Hey Zora, how cute are your parents?! Here, we saved you a spot with us." The bus driver yells at me to take a seat. Where do I sit? At the back of the bus with [[Sarah and the cute boy]] or [[with Anita]]?

I say hi to Anita and tell her I love her hair as I walk past her to sit with Sarah and the cute boy at the back of the bus. Sarah says "This is Andrew. He's a Leader in Training this year. LIT's get awesome priveledges!" Andrew laughs. "Yeah, I'll be living the pimped out camp life! Unlimited marshmallows here I come!" He pats his belly. Sarah casually throws her arm around Andrew and says "plus an extended curfew and access to the hot tub at the main house". I had heard rumors about the main house hot tub but had never actually seen it with my own eyes. I look over to Anita but she has her headphones on and is looking out the window. Sarah says "She's changed a lot. Doesn't she look like a FREAK?!" I pause for a second. Should I [[agree with Sarah]] or [[defend Anita]] ?

I sit down beside Anita and ask her and Sarah "So how was your first year of high school?" Sarah shrugs and says "No big deal". Anita tells me energetically about how she LOVES her music class and how she discovered this awesome punk rock singer "Joan Jett' and she plays a track on her phone. We're singing along with this great song "I don't care about my REPU-TA-TION!" and laughing. I turn back and see Sarah nodding to come sit beside her so she can tell me something. Do I [[go]] or [[stay]]?

I nod in agreement with Sarah "totally!” Sarah asks Andrew what he thinks about her purple hair and he says "It's cool. It's different". Suddenly Sarah turns toward Andrew and gives him a kiss on the lips! Andrew says "Hey! You stole my gum!" Sarah laughs, spits the gum into her hand and whips it across the bus to stick into Anita's hair. I'm so shocked I can hardly move. Anita runs her hands through her hair. I look to the group of LIT's sitting across from us and wait for them to do something but they just burst into laughter. Now the whole bus is laughing at Anita as she struggles to get the gum out of her hair. She looks to me. "Zora, help me! Do I [[help her untangle the gum?]] or [[Do I laugh it off]] with the rest of the campers?

"No way!" I say. "It's cool! I mean, who has the guts to do that?" Sarah has a disgusted look on her face. Suddenly Sarah turns toward Andrew and gives him a kiss on the lips! Andrew says "Hey! You stole my gum!" Sarah laughs, spit the gum into her hand and whips it across the bus to stick into Anita's hair. I'm so shocked I can hardly move. Anita runs her hands through her hair. I look to the group of LIT's and wait for them to do something but they just burst into laughter. Now the whole bus is laughing as Anita struggles to get the gum out of her hair. "Zora, help!" Do I [[help her untangle the gum?]] or [[Do I laugh it off]] with the rest of the campers?

I do my best to try and get the gum out but it's so gross. The more I try to untangle it, the messier it gets. For some weird reason everbody thinks this is hilarious. Eventually I just stop trying. Anita and I look at each other and share a look like "did that really just happen?". It was so mean of Sarah. We spend the rest of the bus ride listening to music and looking out the window, trying to avoid eye contact with the rest of the campers. Finally, we pull up to the front gates of Camp Eclipse. I can see our favorite camp counselor, Cora waiting for us. We exit the bus and head to [[our cabin]]

Everyone is laughing at Anita as she tries helplessly to pull the gum out of her hair. The more she touches it, the messier it gets until her hands are covered in gum and her hair is a matted disaster. The laughter builds and even though I secretly feel TERRIBLE for Anita, I fake a smile, and then a laugh. Anita looks at me in disbelief. But what does she expect me to do? I don't think it can get any worse until I see tears in Anita's eyes. Sarah says "oh come on Anita! Don't be a baby! It's just a joke". Anita slumps into her seat and curls up against the window. Finally, the bus pulls up to the [[camp]].

The bus stops and I see the "CAMP ECLIPSE" sign hanging over the entrance gate and the smiling camp counselors waiting to welcome us. The campers rush off the bus. Sarah grabs Andrew's hand and he follows. There's just Anita and myself left. She says "Thanks a lot Zora. I thought you were my friend". I answer: "[[I'm sorry Anita]]. There was nothing I could do". "Come on Anita! [[It was just a joke|Get over it]]".

"Let's try and find some peanut butter to get it out. Mum says it works." Anita grabs her backpack. "Peanut butter? No way! We're going swimming in the lake. You want to jump off the dock with me?" She smiles. "For sure!" We grab our bags and exit the bus. Our favorite camp counselor Cora greets us and we head to [[our cabin]]

I grab my bag and jump off the bus. Sarah and Andrew are lined up behind Cora, the coolest camp counselor. Sarah motions to come over and winks at me as she says "this is the chillest cabin". I turn to check out the other campers in line and see the Bailey twins, Megan and Emily. Sarah whispers to the twins: "You girls missed the FUNNIEST THING EVER on the bus!" We grab our bags and head to our [[cabin]].

In the cabin with Sarah, Megan and Emily, we settle in and unpack our stuff. We have a super fun girls night. Sarah shows me how to make a perfect cat eye with my liquid eyeliner and tells us all what an AHHHH-MAZING kisser Andrew is. She tells us her plan to sneak us into the hot tub at the main house. Just before I fall asleep, a memory creeps in from last summer of Sarah, Anita and I making friendship bracelets and a pact to always be friends. I push the memory out of my mind and [[fall asleep]] I [[stay awake]] thinking about about what happened on the bus.

I wake up to the twins and Sarah laughing. Sarah is parading around with a purple towel on her head pretending to cry. "Who am I Zora?". By now it's a running joke. "Anita" I respond. We get dressed and head to the main hall for [[breakfast]]

I feel really guilty for not helping Anita on the bus. For some reason, I remember this proverb that I read in a chinese fortune cookie, the night before leaving for camp. The cookie said "If you do not change directions, you may end up where you are going". I decide to follow my gut and try to [[patch things up]] with Anita.

At breakfast we make a cheer for our cabin and perform it in the mess hall in front of all the campers. The twins use their gymnastics and contort themselves into a big chair. Sarah and I sit on them and pretend to chill and star gaze. We call our cabin the "Chill Girls" and get BIG laughs and applause, winning the first competition of the week. Everybody loves our act! I've never won a mess hall competition and I have to admit, it feels sooo GREAT to have everyone clap and scream. The whole crowd is cheering "CHILL GIRLS! CHILL GIRLS!" Out of the corner of my eye, I see Anita sitting alone at a table. She's listening to music, eating cereal alone. At first I feel bad, but over the next few days I get used to hanging out with the "Chill Girls". It really is the pimped out life! We even get into the main house [[HOT TUB|Hot Tub]].

We're in our bathing suits with Andrew and his LIT buddy Shawn. I've heard rumors of the main house hot tub and can't believe I'm really here! Shawn has dark hair and freckles. He has a shy smile and gently touches my arm to point out that we have matching freckles on our elbows. The twins are doing head stands under the water and Sarah and Andrew are having a splashing competition when Shawn takes my hand gently in his. I blush like crazy and feel like my whole body is liquifying into the pool. Later, we towel off and Shawn and Andrew walk us back to our cabin through the [[woods]].

We're walking along the path with Sarah and Andrew in front, the twins in the middle, and Shawn and I following. My hair is wet but the night air is warm. Shawn and I stop for a moment in the clearing. I can't think of anything to say. We just stand there in silence, listening to the crickets and breathing in the pine air of the forest. "This is my favorite place" Shawn says. "I'm doing the leadership training so I get to spend the whole summer here. How cool is that?" "Very cool" I say. Just then Sarah comes running into the clearing, laughing hysterically. "OH MAN! She says. You guys have got to see [[this]]!"

Sarah grabs our wrists and pulls us to the edge of the forest. She points to a cabin and whispers "Look! You can see her through the window". There was Anita in her pajamas, sitting on her bunkbed. "Where are the other campers?" I ask. Sarah answers "They probably wanted to get away from her. You can see why". Anita is strumming her guitar and singing, not exactly in tune. "Ugh, does she not hear herself? She's horrible! Come on, I have an idea! Come on Zora!" Do I [[follow]] or do I [[stay in the woods?]]

I follow Sarah down the path. We're all following her lead except Shawn. I ask Sarah "Where did Shawn go?" "Wimping out" she answers. She has a wicked look in her eyes as she whispers something to the twins.They dart off in opposite directions, each taking a side of the cabin. Sarah is crouching towards the front door and gestures for the rest of us to take the far side with the window. We've surrounded her cabin. I hold my breath and close my eyes. A part of me feels guilty for what we're about to do, but another part is excited. Sarah gives the cue and in unison, we all pound as hard as we can on the cabin walls. I sneak a peek through the window and see Anita's eyes widen and her mouth open before she lets out a piercing scream. We make a run for our [[cabin|it]].

I decide I've had enough of following Sarah and stay in the woods. Sarah says "Shawn, come on". To my surprise he replies "No thanks". They leave and Shawn gives me a really cute smile. He leans in and my heart is racing. "This is it!" I think 'my first kiss'. Just then we turn to hear loud banging and a piercing [[scream]]

Inside our cabin, we jump into our bunk beds. We're out of breath and laughing but Sarah whispers "SSHHH! Do you want to get caught?!" Sarah flicks off the lights. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I think of the look of fear on Anita's face. She looked so scared and helpless. But I have to admit, it was FUN! After all, it was just a joke. Suddenly there's a knock at the door and we all [[FREEZE]].

Cora, our counselor, is at the door with a flashlight. "Ladies, what's going on?" she asks. Sarah fakes waking up and says, "CORA! We were sleeping and heard a scream. We're totally freaked out! Is everything ok?". There's a pause as we wait for her to tell us it was just some kids playing a prank and we can go back to sleep. But instead she says "No. It's not".Then suddenly, like out of a horror movie, I hear sirens in the distance. "Anita had an Asthma attack". The sound of the sirens grows louder, and my ears start ringing. My whole body tenses up and I brace myself for what's [[next]].

The next morning is the worst morning in the history of my life. We pack up our bags in silence and walk together to the mess hall, supervised by Cora. Sarah makes a gesture for us to "zip our lips", as if she STILL thinks we're going to get out of this!? In the empty mess hall there's nothing to eat but stale cereal.The sun is barely over the horizon. Cora walks us to the front office to meet with Elise, the director of the camp. In all the summers at Camp Eclipse, I've never ever seen Elise without a smile. The way she looks at me now makes my heart sink and my eyes dart to the floor. We stand in front of her desk as she speaks. "Ladies, your acitons are unnaceptable. As you may know, you frightened Anita and caused her to have a serious Asthma attack. She could have died. We're lucky that one of our leaders in training happened to be there to help and give her CPR until the ambulance arrived. Your parents are on their way. You will never be welcomed back to Camp Eclipse." To my shock Sarah says "You have no proof!" Elise raises her voice. "Our LIT saw you ladies. I think it's time you start taking responsiblity for your actions". Just when I think it can't get any worse, there's a knock at the [[door]].

Shawn walks in. "I just spoke with the nurse. Anita is in stable condition" he tells Elise. Elise looks at Shawn as she tells us "Shawn was the LIT that saved Anita's life. You're very lucky he was there". Sarah elbows me in the side and I shoot her a look that says "GIVE IT A REST!". I hear the sound of tires on gravel and bite down on my lip. I brainstorm things I would choose over facing my parents: -being stung my bees -eating stale cereal every morning -summer school But there's no avoiding it. I grab my backpack and don't bother saying goodbye to Sarah or the twins on my way [[out]].

My parents drive most of the trip home in silence. Even Samson is quiet cuddled up in my mom's lap in the front seat. Finally, my dad speaks. "I don't understand. I thought you were friends with Anita. She's such a nice girl. How did this happen?" My lip is quivering and I break down in tears. "I don't know". I feel so ashamed. I sit in silence for the the rest of the trip [[home]].

The rest of the summer is torture. I spend the next six weeks grounded, with no TV or internet. I help my parents with chores around the house and don't dare complain. Atleast I have Samson to keep me company and permission to take him for walks. On walks to the park I feel lonely when I see crowds of kids just hanging out, eating freezies and having a normal summer. I think how lucky they are, and how easily everything can change with a few wrong choices. Some nights I sit up, thinking of Anita and how scared she looked. Memories slip in of past summers, hanging at the dock with our feet in the water, cracking jokes and star gazing. I realize that Anita is different. She's the kind of person you can just have fun with. I feel pretty crappy that I don't get to be her friend anymore. Because I'm grounded from the internet, I decide to write Anita an old school [[letter]].

Dear Anita, First off, thanks for reading this letter. I bet you probably thought of throwing it in the garbage and I wouldn't blame you. I know that "sorry" doesn't cut it and there's probably nothing I can do to change how you feel about me. My dad asked my to explain myself, but I don't know where to start. One second the summer was going great,the next it was a nightmare. I've been trying to figure out what happened in between. Last night my family ordered Chinese food and my fortune cookie said: "If you do not change directions, you may end up where you are heading". When I look back, I realize that every choice I made this summer was to impress someone else. I got lost following someone else's path instead of my own. Worst of all, I ended up hurting you - my friend. The coolest thing about you is that you always do your own thing. From now on, I want to create my own path, instead of following someone else's. I hope that someday our paths will meet and you can forgive me. Sincerely, Zora

Anita is thrashing her head back and forth and playing air guitar. She always makes me laugh. Mostly because she really DOESN'T care about her reputation. Suddenly she stops and pats the back of her head. Something sticky is caught in her hair. I turn around and see Sarah, smiling. Did Sarah just throw gum in Anita's hair? I'm so shocked I can hardly move. Anita runs her hands through her hair. I look to the group of LIT's sitting across from us and wait for them to do something but they just burst into laughter. Now the whole bus is laughing as Anita struggles to get the gum out of her hair. She looks to me and says "Zora, help me!" Do I [[help her untangle the gum?]] or [[Do I laugh it off]] with the rest of the campers?

I sit beside Sarah and notice she's holding hands with the super cute boy. "This is my boyfreind, Andrew" Sarah says. "He's a Leader in Training". She says this in such a casual, cool way, as if she's had a THOUSAND boyfriends before (even though I know for a fact that Andrew is her first). Sarah looks over at Anita bobbing her head to her music. Then Sarah whispers in my ear. "Honestly, doesn't Anita look like a freak with her purple hair?" I look at Anita. Her hair is pretty crazy! It's BRIGHT purple. Do I secretly [[agree with Sarah]] or [[defend Anita]]?

We change into our bathing suits and hurry to the dock, splashing into the cold water. We poke our heads up and scream! We race to the island. From the middle of the lake, I can see a group of kids coming towards the dock. I recognize Andrew from the bus and the twins, Emily and Megan. Sarah takes her towel off and walks around, showing off her bikini and how much her boobs have grown since last summer. I have a sinking feeling in my stomach. I'm super self-concious of my body. I'm not exactly a swim suit model and don't feel like getting out of the water in front of them. I tell Anita, "let's swim over to the main beach". "I'm not going out of my way to avoid those jerks" Anita says. Do I get out with Anita at the [[dock]] or convince her to go to the [[main house beach]]?

Shawn and I run from the forest. I can see Sarah and the twins running to our cabin and realize they just terrorized poor Anita. Shawn says "we better check on her". We knock on her door but there's no answer. "Anita"? We open the door and Anita's weezing and as white as a [[ghost]].

I remember, Anita has Asthma! It looks like she's having an attack. Where's her inhaler?? I remember she used to keep it in the outside pouch of her backpack and my eyes dart around the cabin. I see her backpack and grab it. Her inhaler is where I remember it! I help her click it. She breathes in and slowly her breathing returns to normal. The door creaks open and I see Cora, our conselor. "Somebody better tell me right now what's going on!" Shawn and I look at each other. [[Do I tell Cora about the prank]] Or [[keep quiet]] ?

I take a deep breath and tell Cora everything about the prank, and how Sarah, the twins and myself have been treating Anita. Looking at Anita so pale and scared, I can't help but feel sorry for her. I break down in tears in front of Shawn. Cora puts her arm around me and says "the important thing is that you were here to help when she needed it. She's going to be [[ok]]."

"I don't know" I say and avoid making eye contact with Anita. Then Shawn speaks up and tells Cora about Sarah and the prank. "Thank's for your help Shawn. I'm going straight to Elise about this at the [[Main House]]"

The next day I'm sitting alone in the mess hall. Sarah and the twins were kicked out of the camp and Anita's parents were so concerned they came right away to pick her up. The rumors spread like a forest fire. I can see the campers eyeing me from their tables in the mess hall. Everyone has their oppinion about that happened. Some are calling me a "back stabber". Everyone is looking at me differently - including Cora and Shawn. The next few weeks I spend a lot of time alone, hiking the trails and hanging out on the dock where Sarah, Anita and I used to [[sit]]

I remember the nights when we would sit on the dock talking, with our feet dangling in the water. It's weird to think that was just last summer. I can't help feel like if I made a different choice, maybe I would't be alone right now. Where did I mess up? Should I have sat with Anita, instead of Sarah, that first day on the bus? Should I have defended Anita to Sarah? Should I have been honest with Cora about the prank? I guess I'll never [[know|with Anita]].

The next morning I'm sitting alone eating my cereal in the mess hall. Sarah and the twins were kicked out of the camp and when Anita's parents found out, they they came to pick her up. I feel terrible that Anita left, but have to admit I'm relieved Sarah and the twins are gone. Shawn sits down in front of me and hands me a cup of hot chocolate in a plastic cup. [["hey"]] he says.

"How's it going"? "Not great" I shrug. "All my friends are gone". "I'm still here" here says, with a half smile that makes my heart do a little skip. "I messed up" I confess. "I should NEVER have never let Sarah and the "Chill Girls" gang up on Anita. Shawn says "You know what I learned in leadership training? It doesn't matter if you mess up or get lost. The most important thing is being able to admit mistakes and change direction'. "Yeah. I guess you're right". We sit together and drink our hot chocolate.

On our way to the mess hall the next morning, I catch Anita. I say "Listen, I feel super bad about what happened on the bus. It wasn't cool of Sarah and I should've helped you. I just didn't know what to do. Can you forgive me?" Anita half-smiles and says "Alright Zora. I forgive you. Wanna have breakfast with me"? "YES!" I'm so relieved and I realize I don't want to be in Sarah's cabin anymore. I'm sick of her mean jokes and I just want to relax and have fun this summer. I check with Cora and she lets me [[switch|beginning]] to Anita's cabin.

I hold my breath and pull myself out of the water. I'm on my way to grab my towel when Sarah says something so MEAN, it actually feels like the wind is being punched out of me. "WOW!Looks like SOMEBODY plumped out!" The matching mouths of the twins turn upwards. My cheeks burn. I see my towel on the other side of the dock and move towards it but Sarah grabs it before I can. She holds it out of my reach and says "catch" throwing it to Andrew. What happens next, is pretty spectacular. Without missing a beat, Anita pushes Sarah off the dock, into the water and grabs the towel out of Andrew's hand. It happens so quickly, so perfectly, it's like a sequence out of an action movie. We make our [[way back]] to the our cabin.

I beg Anita to come with me to the main beach and she gives in. We start swimming over but a life gaurd appears and blows his whistle. He waves his arms telling us to swim back to the dock. Ugh! I guess there's no escape...we head back to the [[dock]]

That night we have a laugh replaying how Anita ninja'd Sarah off the dock! We figure Sarah learned her lesson and that would be the end of her messing with us. But we were about to find out it was only the [[beginning]]

We have a great welcome back breakfast in the mess hall. Blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage and real maple syrup. Each cabin does a performance to introduce their camp name. Sarah and the twins go first. They call themselves the "Chill Girls". The twins bend back into a double bridge and Sarah lies on them like she's supposed to be a Queen "chillin" or something. For some weird reason everybody loves their act. Anita and I step up. Anita plays Air Guitar and we thrash our heads back and forth. We call ourselves the "Cherry Bombs" (a song by Joan Jett). Nobody really gets it but we're having too much fun to care. They tally up the votes and the "Chill Girls" [[win]].

That day we go for a hike around the lake, and join the rest of the campers for an evening camp fire. We're all sitting around the fire, singing "Kumbaya" and roasting marshmallows. Even Sarah and the twins are singing along and it seems like all the drama from earlier has blown over. Until the camper sitting next to me taps me on the shoulder and puts something in my hand. I look down and see a folded up note. I [[open]] it.

At first I'm not sure what it is. It's just a bunch of initials with check marks beside it. Then I see the title: "UGLIEST CABIN POLL" and at the top, with the most check marks are the initials C.B. (Cherry Bombs). I can feel my fingers tingling and tears welling up in my eyes. The campers are still singing but I can hardly hear them. Anita grabs the paper from my hand. "What is it?" It takes all of my strength not to burst into tears in front of the campers and I run from the campfire towards the [[water]].

I sit at the edge of the dock. The night is cool but my tears are burning my cheeks. Anita comes down to the edge of the dock and sits beside me. She yells "Screw them! They suck! They suck SO bad that they have to put us down to feel good. DON'T CRY ZORA! You're just giving them what they want". "Everybody thinks we're the ugliest cabin". "Who cares about our reputation?" Anita says. "We can't ignore it Anita. We have to tell someone". Anita says "are you kidding? That will just make it worse. The only way to win is to ignore them." I'm not sure what to do. I feel like we need help, but I don't want to be a tattle tale. Should I listen to Anita and [[ignore it]]? Or should I listen to my gut and [[tell someone]]?

I wish I could say ignoring Sarah and the twins worked. It didn't. They got meaner and meaner, calling us "Ugly Bomb". I spend every day at Camp Eclipse scared of what would happen next. On the last day, when everybody is partying in the mess hall, Anita and I sit on the dock, doing our best to avoid the "Chill Girls". On the bus on the ride home we sit at the front of the bus,in case Sarah tries anything. We pull up to the drop off point and I see my parents waiting for me with Samson. I have never felt so relieved! I grab my backpack and I'm almost off the bus when Sarah calls out "See you next year UGLY BOMB!" I run off the bus and give my parents and Samson a big hug. Finally I feel safe. I watch the bus pull away, and decide never to go back to Camp Eclipse again.

Somehow I convince Anita to come with me to talk to our conselor Cora, that night. We show her the poll and she listens to the whole story, starting with the gum on the bus. At the end she says: "I'm so sorry this happened. You did the right thing by telling me. They won't be bothering you anymore". Then she gives us both a hug and tells us to get some sleep. I wonder if our decision will make things better or worse? The next morning, I hold my breath as we walk through the doors to the [[cafeteria]].

I'm half expecting food to fly into my face. But nothing happens. I look around and realize Sarah and the twins are gone. Later Cora explains that when the camp director heard the news, she immediately called Sarah and the twin's parents to pick them up. Cora tells us it took real courage for us to tell her what happened and the camp director rewards us by inviting us into the Leadership in Training Program! We spend the rest of our summer as LIT's at Camp Eclipse. We make our own hiking trails around the lake and even have access to the main house hot tub! I have my first kiss with a super cute LIT named Shawn and the summer is a total blast! I'm glad I listened to my gut and I'm counting down the days until Camp Eclipse next year:)