Quote of the day:
“I’ve come to believe that there exists in the universe something I call “The Physics of The Quest” — a force of nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity or momentum. And the rule of Quest Physics maybe goes like this: “If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared – most of all – to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself… then truth will not be withheld from you.” Or so I’ve come to believe.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love
Quintessential Summer at the Lake Scene
What a great week I had at Camp Unistar!
It was my first time at camp and a definite out-of-my-comfort-zone challenge on many different levels. And I’m so glad I went!
The Challenges…
I have never taught a full-week photography workshop and while the program at camp was pretty informal and shared with another couple leading map-making activities, I was nervous about teaching such a large group at a place I’d never been before.
The mosquitoes on Star Island were fierce. Deer ticks (lyme disease) and biting black flies completed the annoying insect trio on the island. I really, really hate insect bites and don’t want to get lyme disease, so this trip was way out of my comfort zone. I did get bit by mosquitoes during the week (impossible not to) but by wearing protective clothing and using insect repellant when out in the woods, I survived and thrived.
I went alone to camp. Almost everyone else there was in a family group or couple so I definitely felt like I was out of my introvert comfort zone.
And…I was facing a gut flare-up and not sure how I was going to deal with the food.
Because of chronic hip pain I had made arrangements with the person who asked me to present a photography workshop to have a memory foam pad for my bed. Even with that and the extra foam pads I brought, I wasn’t too sure of how I was going to sleep.
Sleeping was difficult for me during the week but it didn’t matter. I slept enough to get by and when I couldn’t sleep, I read. I slept a full 11 hours the first night back at home. Ahhh… Living without all the comforts of home for awhile makes me appreciate them so much more now.
The Gifts…
Every person I met at camp was so interesting and nice! No matter where I sat for meals or who I stood beside at Happy Hour, I found myself involved in a great conversation! My cabin-mates were the best! Great conversation, nice people, and lots of laughter! We spent much of our free time hanging out in the screened porch of our cabin, sometimes chatting, sometimes quiet.
The staff at camp were fantastic! When the food service director stopped by my table the second day to see how I was doing with the food, and then offered to cook special food that I could eat, I was absolutely astounded. I had not planned to put them to special effort in the kitchen for my weird gut issues, but she cheerfully cooked special meals whenever I needed them.
By the end of the week, I was eating the meals prepared for everyone and I felt better than I’ve felt for a long time!
The island was so amazingly green! The view from the lake was an almost unbroken canopy of green with the camp’s lodge invisible until you walked off the dock and up the hill to camp. With all the rain this year in Minnesota, I was told that Cass Lake was 3 feet higher than normal.
Camp Staff Greet Us on the Dock
Sharing my love of photography with a group that also loved photography was the icing on the cake for the week. What fun it was to talk photography with folks using their phones, point-and-shoot cameras, and DSLR’s. Everyone was at a different place in their learning journey and everyone was so proud to share their photos with the group. We had two professional film people at camp, one who shot news video, and one who worked as a film grip. Both shared their expertise, work, and ideas during our photography discussions.
By the end of the week campers had uploaded almost 1000 photos to my computer and we had looked at over 500 of those photos in our daily program. Great fun!
The kids and families at Camp Unistar were so special. We had probably 30 kids at camp ranging from age 3 up to teens ready to fly from the nest at home. All were delightful to be around. I especially enjoyed our 2 youngest kids at camp, Jo-Jo, age 3 and Etta, age 5. They were little balls of energy and light and totally engaged with all the camp experiences. I saw so many families having a great time together, taking time to play games, go boating and swimming together. It is truly a great camp for families who enjoy the outdoors.
And as Elizabeth Gilbert suggests in the quote above, I faced (and accepted) difficult realities about myself during the week. I learned (again) that everyone has challenges. It’s not the challenges that make you special. It’s what you do despite the challenges that makes you special.
When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone? Is it time for you to take a hero’s journey?
May you walk in beauty!
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