38 / matters magazine / summer 2018 finalmatters Only at Camp Twin sisters (rising high school freshmen) share how two very different summer camps helped them grow in ways they never imagined The Hiking Experience BY SASHA ROJER The Arts & Music Experience BY ELLIE ROJER T here is a certain freedom that comes with the ar- rival of summer. Wheth- er that may be falling into a good book or bik- ing around Maplewood, summer is where the stories come from that make adults re- member what it’s like to be a kid. Last summer, I found myself at the top of the highest mountain in the Northeast, Mt. Washington. I was redefining summer vacation with Overland, the outdoors program that allows teenagers to hike all over the world. The wind whipped through my hair, nearly blowing one of my friends off the mountain. This, I thought as my friends laughed (with that slightly crazed edge you get from being in the wilderness for two weeks), is where I belong. Hiking is a way for me to be ad- venturous. I would like to say I am an adventurous person, but sometimes I think otherwise. Trying new foods? Great! Sleeping in a tent with three other girls and a spider or two? Sounds good! Scrambling up rocks surround- ed by fog at 4 a.m., belting Hamilton (badly) at the top of our lungs? Sign me up! But going to a large social event? Trying out for MMS Idol, put- ting myself up against almost 40 other kids? I’ll just...procrastinate. To climb up a waterfall, to dance in a pavilion in the rain singing Mulan, to kayak through the choppy waters of the Maine coast, to be part of the crew of the fictional ship The Overlander, to eat as many pancakes as I possibly can just to see if I can. These are things I never thought could be done in a life- time, let alone two weeks. Overland has proved me wrong. Summer was my time to take those chances I’m always too scared to take. And who knows, maybe that adventuring is go- ing to help me make the scary deci- sions, the ones I see every day. Overland has taught me that it’s OK to be a little scared. When you’re hiking, you remain positive and de- termined, no matter what situation nature throws at you. I felt so com- fortable with myself, so like myself, in Overland, that I didn’t have to hide behind the choices I was too afraid to make. S ome may think that I would be embarrassed to be a nerd. They would be surprised to know that I take it in stride to the extent that my twin and I have shirts with NERD sprawled across the front. You might as well slap a nametag on my forehead: “Hello, my name is Ellie! Fellow nerds, assemble!” But one does not just turn into a book- worm, Broadway lover, and doodler overnight. Nerds need a place to accu- mulate, to grow and be loved, and be encouraged to create art. For me, that place is Appel Farm. Let’s set the scene. A yellow school bus cruising down a dusty road in the sleepy farm town of Elmer, in South Jersey. It’s full of adolescents screaming and cheering as they near a small sign that says, “Appel Farm, Arts and Mu- sic Center, Overnight Arts Camp.” The bus turns in, and kids spill out, grab- bing duffels and hugging friends. This was my first experience of Appel Farm and I soon found out I felt just at home there. Over the past two years at this camp, I have talked in depth with oth- er teens about similar likes, such as TV shows, podcasts, movies, books, and music. I’ve also discussed world issues, our place in the universe, human flaws and emotions, and personal identity. Communicating and connecting is one of the most important parts of camp and it’s been made possible by mixed-gender activities, mixed-age group classes, and choosing your own seating at meals. Something that stood out to me was that everyone has a sense of com- munity, creativity, and the ultimate trait of weirdness. Each imagination is diverse and different, and therefore every spark in each kid is different. And the variety of classes borders on the breathtaking: music, theater, technical theater (backstage), dance, visual arts, printing, photography, video, writing, gardening, horse riding and athletics, together with many spe- cific lessons and subgroups. So, why go to Appel Farm? It was a great experience! I learned so much and I figured out a little more about myself while being with people who I knew will love me for the nerd I am. Sasha (L), Ellie (middle) and friend Llian (R) on their hike up Mount Mansfield, the highest mountain in Vermont with a peak of 4,395 feet above sea level. Sasha (L) and Ellie (R) sing Ghost Riders in the Sky, by Johnny Cash, at an acoustic campfire concert.