By: Quinn White
Photographer, Summer 2019
Anyone who has gone to summer camp understands that the friendships made in your own camp bubble are some of the most powerful connections you will make throughout your life. Each summer at Lochearn, campers and staff travel from every corner of the world. We each have an incredible opportunity to meet people we may not have met otherwise. Connections like these are unmatched, and allow girls to be exposed to new people, cultures, and experiences. Although many girls start the summer as strangers, by the end, they walk away as best friends.
As the camp photographer, it was my job to pay attention to the details. As the summer days passed by, I noticed many girls becoming close friends with one another. Seeing the magic of camp friendships unfold through the lens of my camera is an experience I will never forget.
Being a camp photographer has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my life. My days were filled with laughter, sunshine and making memories with campers and staff. I learned how to make friendship bracelets alongside campers, spent hours on the ski boats and enjoyed the s’mores bars more than anything this summer [Click here for the s’mores bars recipe!] I had so much fun at camp, but the best part of my entire experience was getting to see friendships grow between campers.
“My friendships at Lochearn have impacted my life by letting me know that I have friends wherever I go. I now have a friend in Japan, Massachusetts, New York, in California and in many other places. I feel connected to my friends even though we’re miles apart, and if I’m facing trouble it helps me to know they’re out there.” – Greta, Park City, UT 
I took thousands of photos this summer, and the most memorable ones were of campers who have become best friends through Lochearn. There are many campers who met during their first year on Junior line who still continue to be friends as they become Seniors and beyond. I was told by many girls that they spend the school year counting down the days until they can return to Lochearn and daydreaming about all the fun they will have the following summer.
“My friendships at Lochearn have made such an impact on my life in so many ways. I have made lifelong friends that I will love forever and are always there for me. The friendships I have made at this camp impact my life every day from missing them so much to going to visit them during the year to just wishing they were there with you all the time. 
From FaceTiming each other for hours a night to seeing each other on Opening Day, you truly know they are there for you and will never leave your side even if they do live on the other side of the country. The friends I have made at Lochearn have made me who I am today, and I will always love them for that.” – Kate, Norwich, VT
Friendships made at camp are camp-wide, both among campers and among staff and everywhere in between. Spending a summer at Lochearn was an extraordinary experience for me. I made memories this summer that I will never forget, and friendships that I will cherish forever. The people I met at Lochearn have helped me open doors to opportunities that I may have never had otherwise. I made friends from around the world, and I learned a lot about myself in the process.
Camp is a wonderful experience for everyone who is a part of a camp community. Many counselors come to camp simply to help create everlasting bonds between campers. Helping a camper to make new friends is the most important part of a counselor’s job. Meeting someone new and learning more about their likes, dislikes, values and culture, while also getting to share their own, is the best way to expand one’s understanding of the world around them. Campers view staff as role models and they often form strong bonds together. Not only do campers look up to staff, but staff greatly appreciate campers as well. The campers I met at Lochearn made my whole experience worth the while.
“As a camp counselor I’ve met lots of kids, staff and parents and every single one has changed my life. I’ve worked with kids who had no interest in the outdoors when they started and then by the end of the summer, hiking is their new favorite activity. I’ve made friends from all over the world and the United States. I even met my best friend who now lives in Australia! The last 3 summers as a camp counselor has given me leadership skills and things I could have never even dreamed of! I would highly recommend working at a summer camp for anyone wanting to broaden their horizons in friends and skills.” – Bekah, Gainesville, FL 
Regardless of your role at camp or the reason you decided to go to summer camp, you are sure to form connections like no other. Campers and staff alike make friendships to last a lifetime. My summer at Lochearn was one of the best summers of my life. The experiences I had and the friendships I made will connect me to Lochearn for the rest of my life, something for which I am truly grateful.
When we think of Campfire Hill at Lochearn, we think of the serene, reflective space that allows us to look back on our experiences at camp and treasure the memories we make every day. Surrounded by hemlocks and white pines swaying in the wind amongst the breathtaking Vermont scenery, Campfire Hill is often referred to as a “natural wonder.” Past and present campers and staff are connected by the thousands of footsteps that have traveled the path to Campfire Hill, making it one of the most special places at camp. 
Musical Theater Production
1st–4th grades
We want to build real relationships, incite genuine growth, build confidence, and, rather than force someone to find their passions, give everyone the time to fall in love with the camp experience in her own way. We at Camp Lochearn believe it’s much tougher to develop these connections – both with others and within yourself – in just two weeks, where the outside world continues to call you back, as do family and friends from home. For everyone on the shores of Lake Fairlee, it’s just you and camp, which is built around our core values: Leadership, Mentoring, Initiative and Passion.
A two-week experience gives girls an opportunity – an excuse, even – to stay in the background and be a seer rather than a doer. We often say “We don’t have invisible campers,” because it’s true. We know it’s tough to open yourself up to others. We’ve been there. It takes confidence, strength and time. We don’t want to rush that growth or inhibit it in any way. Some arrive at the gates ready to conquer those 27 days, and that’s wonderful. But others can’t. It’s not that they’re incapable – we’ve yet to meet anyone who arrives at Lochearn and is – but they often need someone to lead them there. That’s why the relationships built in the cabins on Lake Fairlee are key, and we often see campers emerge with life-long relationships.
Realizing you have more in common with others – things you often can’t see in the first few days of meeting someone – is an invaluable experience, and it’s one that can only develop naturally. There’s no time limit on it.
and we hope our campers and staff alike bring a kind and caring heart to give every girl the opportunity to grow together.
Dear Journal,
At first I was nervous about a month away from home, but now it feels like I can’t imagine leaving Cabin 13…
After a month at Lochearn, it’s the feeling you get when you long for everything that made camp special. You miss the lifelong friendships you made, your inside jokes and the camp songs. These are the things that stay with you, but you miss the little things, too. Like the unforgettable smell coming from Highland Hall when there’s warm tacos for lunch, or the screams of excitement that come with the reveal of camp’s evening program. And you just long for the daily routine, from waking up to the bugle and catching the sunrise over Lake Fairlee, to the harmonious calls of the loons that seem to echo across the water. But most of all you miss who you could be at Lochearn – yourself. 
You explored new passions, from beads and bracelets to archery and water sports. You miss how you felt when you won your first blue award in an activity you’d never tried before. You miss the sound of the wind filling your sailboat as you take a deep breath of the cool Vermont air. You miss your new best friends, who in just a month have become as close as sisters. Campitis is when you find yourself missing camp and everything that came with it, and you might find yourself feeling it when you least expect it. 
back to camp and leave your worries at the gate! The school year may seem like an eternity, but we suggest glancing back at all of your camp photos, wearing your Lochearn gear to school and keeping in touch with your cabin mates from the summer. They could be experiencing some Campitis of their own and are hoping you’ll reach out!
