A Nalgene Full of Gratitude

I remember watching a TED Talk once where the expert presented how her research has shown a simple and effective way to improve happiness and joy in our daily lives. Leaning forward with the anticipation of uncovering this magic pill to improve my life, I was surprised to hear that all we had to do … Continued

Whose hands?

“He’s Got the Whole World, In His Hands” While standing precariously on the back of Illahee’s Dodge Dump Truck, balanced atop four 300-gallon IBC water containers, I heard in the distance the strumming of a guitar and the soft singing of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Anyone who has grown up in … Continued

Pop-up Camp and Outpouring of Support!

Happy news from our house and the farm: power was restored late Saturday! 9 days without power will make you appreciate it. I had ventured over to camp to check on some things and turn on our cooler. When I got back, I noticed the fuse on the pole serving the farm was back in … Continued

Helene Relief!

For those of you who have seen the horrific images from our area, you can imagine our surprise when the power came back on at camp Wednesday evening late. My wheels started spinning, and I immediately went to the kitchen and fired up our walk-in cooler and freezer and the ice machines. By yesterday, we … Continued

Hurricane Helene Aftermath

Helene was some storm. I measured 20.75 inches of rain over a 3-day period at the farm. The big fields along the river where we play Capture the Flag were completely under water and moving fast and all roads were under water too. As any camper who has been on a trip out of camp … Continued

NEW Older Camper Activities!!!

Illahee is the perfect place for girls of all ages. Whether it’s your first step on our beautiful campus or your thousandth, “you are an Illahee Girl!” However, during our three- and four-week sessions, we’re excited to introduce several activities exclusively open to our oldest campers, rising 8th grade and above! We’re stoked to expand … Continued

Awesome Staff, Apply NOW!

Camp Illahee is looking for awesome staff. Or should I say AWE-some staff? Because when we say “awesome” we mean staff who are capable of experiencing and generating that remarkable feeling of awe. “Awe” makes me think of camp. I think of our campers and our staff. My favorite definition is: “an emotion we experience … Continued

2024

Time is a funny thing. There are days in this job that feel like an eternity: Days where the activity periods trudge by slower than our 15-year-old lab Liza moves across camp. Yet some weeks fly by quicker than you can say, “Magdalena Hagdelena.” Somehow this paradoxical movement of time happens simultaneously. Three months ago, … Continued

The Threshold of Camp

Two weeks went by fast. Today was no different. I blinked and it was lunch. We held normal activities in the morning as girls completed projects and checked off a few last tasks. A few campers came up to me proud as can be showing off their green swim band since they passed out of … Continued

Rainbow Gift!

After a short hiatus on the blog, it’s nice to be back writing about the day. We’ve mentioned this before, but the chance to sit down and reflect can be a rare occurence around here and writing about the highlights helps me think through the day’s happenings with intention. The last few days have “filled … Continued