[Part 1 of 3] The girl in the tie-dye T-shirt

It was the summer after first grade. I stepped off the bus and turned to look at my best friend, Lisa. Her eyes, like mine, had finally dried from crying.

That morning, our parents had dropped us off at the bus for Girl Scout Camp, where we’d be spending four nights together, away from our families, many hours from home.

I grabbed Lisa’s hand as we nervously followed the crowd of girls toward the Menominee River. We could see that the bank sloped upward from the shoreline, where rows of benches waited for us on a little hillside.

All around us, camp counselors stood, singing songs, smiling, and laughing with one another.

Maybe this place wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Just then, someone caught my eye.

One counselor in particular wore cutoff denim shorts and a tie-dye T-shirt, strumming a guitar — she seemed to be the one leading everyone in song, singing confidently. I watched her and in that moment, everything faded into the background.

I knew without knowing anything: I wanted her to be my leader.

In a flash, Lisa and I were swept off into a rush of meeting our counselors, finding our cabin, saying hello to our cabin-mates and learning how life would be at Girl Scout Camp.

Our days were filled with swimming at the waterfront, crafts (like my very own tie-dye T-shirt!), and meals in the grand dining hall, which always ended in songs — the words to which we learned quickly.

By the end of our four days, we were crying again… because we didn’t want to leave!

Every summer Lisa and I returned to Chalk Hills for longer spans of time. We experienced our first cookout, our first dip in Lake Superior, first time peeing in the woods, and our first time strapping on a backpack and hiking all of our belongings to a new campsite night after night.
*Photos for these stories will be a bit blurry — they’re old! Bear with me!

One year, we did a 3-day backpacking trip... then 5 days through Picture Rocks National Lakeshore. Then 7 days in the Porcupine Mountains where a bear stormed into our campsite and ate most of our food — another story, for another time...

Finally, we did 12 days hiking the Superior Hiking Trail — a milestone trip where young women earn a pair a red suspenders upon their return. During one of our first years, we witnessed a group receive their suspenders, and I remember thinking: I want to earn my own. ​

Sure enough, Lisa and I were crying yet again (in joy!) the night received our suspenders during a ceremony in font of the entire camp.

When the camp director mentioned to our table at breakfast the next morning that they could really use extra help at camp with cleaning and other tasks, I jumped at the chance to return. ​

Get paid to work at my favorite place in the world? Sign. Me. Up. I’ll do anything.

That summer was one for the books... six weeks of camp! It was the summer I got my suspenders, got my first real job, learned how to (actually) sweep a floor, clean a toilet AND a shower, do dishes in a commercial kitchen, prep food for the masses. The chores weren’t glorious, but I did them — happily. Because I was free.

I never felt completely myself at school, growing up — I was (like so many young women) extremely self-conscious of my appearance, my grades, and my actions. I edited myself into a version I thought was likable.
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At camp? There was no editing. I had complete autonomy to be whoever I felt like. I could be exactly like that camp counselor I saw on the first day of camp — smiling and strumming with her tie-dye T-shirt.

By this time, I’d spent eight summers waiting for her to be my trip leader, and the stars hadn’t aligned. After earning my suspenders, I resigned that it wouldn’t happen... until camp launched a new backpacking trip: 18 days backpacking Isle Royale, a National Park in the middle of Lake Superior.

Of course I was IN — that meant I still had one more chance the following summer...

I’ll tell you what happened tomorrow!

In light,
Mollie