AAVE Trip BLOG » 2007 » October
October 2, 2007
Teen Summer Camp in Pacific Northwest!
Posted by Chris in : General AAVE Trip BLOG , 1 comment so far
Tyson, affected Mikka in one of those life changing moments she will never forget. A pinnacle moment for a 14 year old. Add to that the challenges of the hikes and the beautiful scenery…well she was lost for words beyond “Amazing”. She knows she will NEVER experience life like this again, you can only see the world through a 14-yr-old eyes for a short time. Tyson gave her a life perspective that would have taken her another 5 years to learn. It all came about from a side trip for another camper to the hospital. Tyson, patient and Mikka drove a long time home/camp sight. Patient was passed out asleep in the car so Tyson and Mikka had some great one on one time. Gus, well every picture on Mikka’s camera had Gus in it and a story to go w/ it. It seems Gus is the counselor you pray your kid will have. THANK YOU a million times over for everything.
My son loved his trip to Washington. He met new friends and absolutely loved his trip leaders. He spoke of all the fun and high-spirits that Tyson was. He talked about being in the back of the caboose with Gus and of having great conversations with Tim. He told me how his group climbed upper Lena and even though he was so tired he felt such a great sense of accomplishment. He loved the bike ride and wished their was a bit more snow for Whistler. As usual when he returned home he wished the trip was longer. This trip was the highlight of his summer. Thank you to such wonderful young trip leaders who really inspired Fitz. He wants to lead a trip one day!
Successful? EVERYTHING, all my summer goals and hopes were fulfilled more than I could ever expect. I had the best time and I can’t wait to do it again. The whole trip ran smoothly and seemingly effortless.-Fitzwilliam Anderson, camper, WCD
I felt that all of the activites on the WCD trip were at the right level for all of the participants. I liked the fact that it was not a large group, this made it easier to be friends with everyone.-Mathew Lonner, camper, WCD
Great trip!! I was worried that this trip would not be as fun as last years, but it was better. The group worked together and had lots of fun.-Josh Glosser, camper, WCD
It was a great experience for Jeremy, he came back calm and more mature. Loved the whole thing. Made me buy a guitar for him because of his counselor. He has been taking lessons ever since. I was pleased witht he communication wioth you and the counselors. It was really a great experience.-Sandy Zeichner, parent, WCD
From a parent’s perspective AAVE is perfect. Your child gets a wonderful experience and you know that all the details will be taken care of professionally and appropriately.-Carol Barash, parent, WCD
The Best Decision A Mom Can Make
Posted by Jenny at AAVE in : General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
Journeys that matter, no question. A life changing positive experience, without a doubt. I started this process believing I was making a really good decision for my daughter, a 13-yr old only child of divorced parents. We were extremely close, I believed she would trust my decisions. Not the case, she wanted no part of it. A much harder journey transpired, but together we traveled to Seattle and after meeting the group we said our goodbyes and I traveled home alone. As a parent, it felt as if someone had ripped my heart from my chest and said okay, you made this decision, it is your turn, you wait three weeks and see what the outcome will be. She was a reluctant participant but I had faith, AAVE had been around for 31 years, they had all the accreditations, I loved what I read ands saw, I talked to the staff, had a great conversation prior with the trip leader and ultimately the overall message back to me was to have faith, believe, and trust my decision.
Fast forward, three weeks later at the airport on her return. Thirteen new friends and three new role models - the trip leader and two co-leaders. Sobbing, she was conflicted about being home, I totally understood. I still beg for her to tell me a new story or repeat one I have already heard. She had an opportunity to be herself and to explore the person she could become. She had a blast, they were outdoors and learned to appreciate what that meant, they got to be explore towns and cities, they did a little bit of everything, all positive and all fun. As a parent, these are wings that we cannot give without the village of people that choose to teach, be a summer camp counselor, or mentor. Ultimately, this experience strengthened my bond with my daughter. A journey that mattered, absolutely, I cannot thank you enough.
Best,
Kathleen Daly
Zoë’s mom