A Few of My Favorite Falcon Things

As many of you have read, I am the newest old staff back at Falcon.  I started at Falcon in 1994 as a counselor and worked the summers through college doing several different jobs. This fall an opportunity came available for me to return to camp.  My wife and I talked it over and we quickly came to the conclusion that this would be the best thing for us as a family.
 

We currently live in Wisconsin, and it is starting to look like winter is wrapping up, which means that camp is getting closer and closer.  The discussions around the dinner table and car rides around town have started to include activities we want to do when the snow has completely melted.  We have two boys, a six year old and a four year old.  My wife and I have been describing Falcon to them and I have quickly started sharing my favorite parts of Falcon with them.

• The Waterfront:  I am a water guy and getting our boys excited about the water and the different opportunities at the waterfront has been fun.  I love sailing out on the lake, the all camp open swims, going on a hike through the woods and getting covered in mud and then returning to the lake to rinse off, and going on canoe trips.

• Making Friends:  Over my 20 yrs of working at summer camps I have made the best friends of my life.  I met my wife at summer camp and more than half of our wedding party were friends we met at camp.  I have friends all around the states, even around the world.  Camp friends are the best because you can go for months, sometimes years, without seeing or speaking to each other and then when you finally do connect, conversations start right where they left off.

• Being outside:  Rain, sleet, snow or sunshine, we get to be outside.  Well, maybe not the sleet or snow, but we get to be outside for all kinds of weather and at different times of the day.  It’s possible to check out the big dipper, go puddle jumping, swim, sail, canoe, horseback ride, and play tennis, all outside. There isn’t a time to plug in; we can all be unplugged. 

• Everyone knows your name: There is nothing cooler than walking through camp and everyone knowing your name.  Every session is one big family that eats together, swims together and has fun together.  It’s a great feeling to walk through camp and see campers and staff greet each other by name.

•  New and Exciting experiences:  Every year at camp, I am able to try something new and exciting.  My first year at camp, I learned how to saddle a horse and shoot a .22.   The second year I learn a bunch of other new and exciting things!

As I continue to share my list with my wife and boys, I am excited to see what they put on theirs.

What are your favorite Falcon things?