When I arrived at Moosilauke for the first time about ten years ago, I saw a beautiful lake, sprawling fields, and Mount Cube watching over the bustle of activity. When I arrived about 3 weeks ago for my first summer as a counselor, I saw a strikingly similar scene. While I have changed in many ways over the past decade, Moosilauke has remained much the same, tangibly and intanglibly. For me, the beauty of Moosilauke has been in its presence as an unchanging bubble that gives me a rest from the buzz of the other 11 months of the year.

At Moose I could relax in a community of people with extraordinary positive energy. Just as I was getting tired of the silly stresses of middle school, I would come to Moosilauke, a place with less judgement and exclusion. While life was far from terrible at home, this always came as a welcome improvement. And year after year, as I moved from elementary school through high school and now college, Moosilauke’s energy has embraced me and helped me relax and grow, regardless of what went on in my life outside of camp.

Returning as a counselor, one of my main goals has been to maintain the community I was thankful for as I grew up at Moosilauke. While only a couple dozen faces remain the same, the place and the attitude is startingly and pleasantly the same. The camp’s philosophy, with its combination of “Live your dreams,” “Fun with a purpose,” and “Positive risk-taking,” perfectly sums up the experience I have had and hope to pay forward to the current campers at Moose.