While driving a few Senior Bears back from their six-day Petawawa River White Water Trip, I had a conversation that reminded me exactly why we practice what we preach at Camp Arowhon.
The drive home was three and a half hours long. For most people, three and a half hours without a phone would probably feel like a nightmare. For us, it flew by. We spent the drive talking, singing, laughing, and even dancing in our seats.
About thirty minutes from camp, one of the girls chimed in from the back seat.
“You know, if I did this drive outside of camp, I would’ve been on my phone the entire time and never gotten to have such a fun drive.”
The others immediately agreed. They shared stories about friends at other camps where phones are allowed and where campers don’t work toward High Class Awards that challenge them in the same way. I asked them if they would rather be at a different camp.
Without hesitation, they all said, “There is no camp I would rather be at.”
Knowing this was their final summer as campers, they reflected on their years at Arowhon. They spoke about how grateful they were that camp had pushed them in the ways it did. Even the things they had once resisted like being without their phones, participating in mandatory activities, and heading out on canoe trips. These experiences had become some of the memories they valued most. Looking back, they felt deeply connected to the growth that came from those challenges.
This is the golden nugget of camp.
The very experiences that can feel difficult in the moment are often the ones that shape us the most. At Arowhon, we ask campers to embrace challenge, knowing that resilience, confidence, and connection are built through those moments. Hearing these Senior Bears come to that realization on their own was incredibly special.
It was a beautiful reminder that the lessons of camp aren’t always learned in the moment, they often reveal themselves through reflection. Watching campers grow up and recognize the value in the challenges they once pushed against, and appreciate the simple beauties of camp because of them, is one of my favourite parts of this incredible work we do.
