And then it was over… One minute I was talking with several students at their airport gate, the next minute they were gone – bound on a jet to their families, returning to their familiar world, but returning just a little bit changed. Spending time in wilderness does that to you. So does spending time with great role models.
I must say, I am sad to see the summer end. Usually I am exhausted. This year I have had so much fun with our great students and instructors, that I can’t imagine it ending. (Though I can’t wait to make my family a priority again) This has truly been an incredible summer, my favorite summer in years. It has also been a very safe summer, and that has been most important.
The credit goes to a wonderful Adventure Treks instructor team. They are tired, but it’s that wonderful kind of tired in knowing they have worked hard, made a difference and accomplished more than asked of them. The instructors used their years of experience to facilitate amazing and indelible experiences.
But I would be remiss if I didn’t thank you, our parents. Thank you for lending your incredible children to us. We love our kids and we are really going to miss them! Never have we had such consistently excellent communities and such a wonderful bunch of intelligent, kind, eager and excited kids. It has been a true privilege to be able to be of influence on these great kids who will become tomorrow’s leaders. People who disparage today’s youth need only spend a few days at Adventure Treks to become optimistic about our shared future.
We hope we returned your child to you full of stories, sun-kissed and healthy, more physically fit than before and with a great appreciation for the wonder of the outdoors, the give and take of living in a community, and the awareness of what it takes to be a contributor. I hope your child has had glimpses of their best self, are more confident to accept new challenges, more eager to accept responsibility, and demonstrating more initiative at home. I know they had the time of their life without electronics and media and hopefully they are eager to keep outdoor activities as part of their lives. Ask them to cook dinner for you. They should be able to pull it off without a problem.
We will miss the intensity of summer, the shared bonds with students and instructors and the boundless energy of our students. But Adventure Treks is hardly over for the year! We begin our fall programs for schools in two weeks. Eighteen of our seventy summer instructors are moving to North Carolina. Between August 26 and November 1, we will serve over 900 middle and high school students from 15 different schools in 7 states. These programs are a great introduction to the outdoors for students who might never get there without a school sponsor.
It’s sad to say goodbye to our students. I understand how a Principal feels at graduation – proud of the accomplishments of their students and wishing them well, but a little empty from the loss of saying goodbye to so many good friends.
Thanks for a great summer. We will keep this blog going with many more updates. Expect a thank you video in a few days. Pictures from your child’s trip will be posted on FLICKR soon. You will get details.
Thanks again for your support.
my very best regards,
John Dockendorf
Director