Earlier this summer, my friends and I went to the first ever Grown Ups Camp in Nashville — and we’re getting ready to go back again in August! Work has been killing me, and it’s going to be so awesome to feel like a kid again. I think everyone should go to Camp every summer!
Wondering what it’s like?
Well, we start off with a happy hour on Friday to mix and mingle with campers and program staff. Then it was off to dinner where we had the first of many delicious, buffet-style meals we would enjoy over the weekend. (They offered vegetarian and vegan options for my coworker, and were really awesome about accommodating my food allergies.)
After dinner, we get into our Color War teams, where we make our team flags, decide on our team name, and deck out in our color [we were the Green Team, aka Magically Delicious].
We played the first of many rounds of ridiculous games, relays, and races. They were messy and fun and took me right back to the goofy games I played at summer camp as a kid. [Who can find the gumball in the powdered sugar first, who can chug sodas the fastest, who can balance an egg on a spoon, just to name a few!]
That first night, we got the bonfire going and listened to live music while we sipped cocktails and caught up with our new friends. It was the perfect, laid back start to what I knew was going to be an awesome weekend.
The next morning, my friend got up first thing for an early morning hike, where she saw bald eagles flying overhead! I decided to do cliffside yoga, to try and relieve some work stress. It was great to do some deep-breathing and take in the beautiful view.
We all had breakfast together, then went to the rock wall for some climbing races. After that, my cabin mates wanted to try the high ropes course. I was definitely nervous, but getting to zipline at the end made it so worth it! As the summer sun rose in the sky, we knew it was time for a dip in the pool to cool off before lunch.
That afternoon, we challenged another cabin to some dodgeball, and spent some time paddling canoes on the lake. My co-workers decided to try their hand at stand-up paddleboarding, and I went for it on the waterskis. I’m not an expert yet, but it’s definitely something I’ll do next time I come back to camp.
The slip n’ slide was definitely a highlight, too. And we made our own bug spray in the arts and crafts shed- it smelled awesome and kept the mosquitos at bay.
When dinner was over, we finished up the Color War games – we came in a close second! The rest of the night was for dancing under the stars and raising our glasses to new friends (which was easy, since the bar was open all night).
The next morning we all had breakfast together, and promised to keep in touch. I can’t remember the last time I had a stress-free all-inclusive getaway, but I know there will definitely be a next time. My friends and I made sure to sign up in time for the early bird special, and we’re even able to bunk together! Can’t wait to go to summer camp again in a few weeks. You should come, too. I’ll save you a s’more!
