~Bjorn Tellefsen, Class of 2024

On the bus heading to New Hampshire listening to music, excited to have fun and get to know my friends better. I was hoping it wouldn’t be a repeat of last year and we would do other things. When we got off the bus, we were put in different cabins than last year. Our cabin even had a swing.

After dinner, on our second night at Windsor Mountain, our whole class, all our teachers, and the counselors gathered around the campfire together. The first thing we did was talk about the coming year. Then, as we stared up into the sky, mesmerized by the stars, we listened to music. Alex Luo started singing “Memories,” and he sang better than I thought he might. We sang “Wagon Wheel” together after James sang Blackbird, but the main reason we were there gathered around the campfire was because it’s a tradition. We were even lucky enough to see a shooting star, or, as Fitz calls it, a ghost rider. As we were around the campfire, I could see countless stars, and I heard nothing but the crackles coming from the fire. I felt the grass that I lay in and tasted the sweet, fresh air as I smelt smoke from the fire. Listening to people sing or play an instrument, I felt at ease in a crazy world. As I’m overwhelmed by the number of stars in the sky, I see a shooting star flying through the air. To make the experience more meaningful and rewarding, I would have gone up to the front with everyone else and sang.

The first and second days at Windsor Mountain, during free time, I would go down to the waterfront. I would go with my friends, and we would swim for a long time, having fun. Running Oklahoma drills on the mat, trying to get to the end of the blob to launch each other off. Facing our fears on the high dive. We tried to go off the rope swing because we just wanted to have fun. I feel the cold mud squelch into my shoes as I walk down the slippery, muddy hill to the waterfront. I hear people splash into the water and taste the nasty lake water as I plunge in. Playing King of the Hill on the floating mat. Bouncing around on the trampoline. Then going off the rope swing, trying my best to do something cool-looking while going off and failing terribly as my arms flail about. I feel a rush of adrenaline as I face my fears to go off the high dive, and as soon as I do, I immediately feel a wave of cold come over me as I plunge deep into the water. I feel even colder as I get out and race to my towel and the sauna to warm up. I already love swimming, but this helped me realize even more that swimming is more fun with friends. At the waterfront, I learned that rope swings are way harder than I thought they would be. Thinking back, I’m glad I went to the waterfront every day.

After the campfire, Fitz offered to take anyone who wanted to go down to the lake to look at the stars. Right before we had to go to our cabins to go to bed, Most of the grade and I, and obviously Fitz, walked down to the waterfront together to look at the stars. Walking down was a little scary because it was pitch black, and we never knew if you were going to step on a rock and roll your ankle. As we walked down to the waterfront, we could see literally nothing. Hearing people yell because they were scared of hanging on to Fitz’s shoulder so I could stay close to him, but having other people hanging on to my shoulder. 

Tasting nothing but fresh air and smelling the lake and the trees. When we got to the lake, we could see what seemed like, and probably was, millions of stars and their silhouettes. People are wondering who’s who. But then Fitz told us all to quiet down, and he then yodeled at the top of his lungs, and we could hear the echo for a long time. At the waterfront at night, I learned that these types of things are more fun with friends. Also, friends make things more enjoyable. If I hadn’t gone, I know I would have regretted it.

During the trip, friendships were created and strengthened, and peace of mind was enjoyed.