The Impact of Family

    After attending Camp Carolina Trails for the first time, I knew I had to go back. I was hooked. The whole environment, from the positivity to the “normalness,” it was all something so inspiring I could not stay away. I attended camp carolina trails the next seven summers. Making my way up the totem-pole of camper life from two years in the Explorer program, three years in Discovery, two years in Voyagers, and my final year spent in Navigators. Each year when I returned to camp I had the opportunity to catch up with all of my friends that continued to attend camp as well. Of course, there were the campers that would come and go, they just were not cut out for the camper life; however, the majority of the campers that attend CCT return the next year and attend for as many as allowed. Like me. Each program had something new to offer, Explorers being the youngest have  a lot of fun and games and just being able to be a “normal” kid while managing diabetes with peers. Discovery, the middle school ages (6th-8th), being able to enjoy your time with your friends you made in the previous years and learning how to become more independent with diabetes. Voyagers (9th and 10th grades), this group is extremely fun and each person will learn how entering high school and managing with others and working as a team works with diabetes. Last, but not least, the Navigators, I think it is safe to say that anyone that attends CCT for all age groups, would say that Navigators is the best.

The Navigator program is designed towards leadership, it is for students entering the 11th grade only. It is also the last year a person can attend camp as a camper. The navigators have a different camp experience than the rest of the campers, they sleep in a tent. The whole week is spent focused on making each individual a better leader and example all while managing diabetes. The Navigator program buddies up with the explorer program for a “big/little sibling” relationship throughout the week. The Navigators have to organize and plan games and activities for the explorers to do with them. It teaches leadership and working as a team to older campers and discipline and encouragement to younger campers. Being able to do such events with younger campers is sort of like an inspiration technique, teaching them that you can still do anything even with diabetes. Throughout the entire Navigator program week every camper is encouraged and pushed to better their leadership and really learn how to take charge of managing diabetes independently (alone). The best part about ALL of these programs at camp is that every one is “normal.” We all have something(s) in common that we most likely don’t have in the outside world (not camp).

 Attending the camp for eight summers has taught me many things, one of those being that when you have camp-family to support you, you are never managing diabetes “alone.” The middle of the night bad blood sugar checks don't have to be spent alone, my camp friends are a phone call away. I have made many friendships through CCT, even one of my best friendships ever. I talk to one of my friends from CCT daily just to keep and touch and it also is a good way to keep yourself from feeling alone when diabetes decides to kick you a little harder sometimes.

I am beyond blessed to have been able to attend Camp Carolina Trails as a camper; however, the counselors at CCT were and still are such an inspiration and encouragement to me that I am currently working on the leadership training to become a CIT (counselor in training).

This November I will complete my training and be qualified to apply for a CIT position for the summer 2017.

Attending CCT as a camper was amazing, but being able to give back and have the same impact on kids that I once experienced will be like no other.

A New Home

Picking up where I left off…
     

     After the lengthy check in process, a counselor escorted me and my parents to the cabin I would call home for the next week. On the way to the cabin, the counselor, who was a former camper, talked to me about her experiences with CCT. Arriving to the cabin, I was welcomed, with big smiles, by two new counselors who would be my cabin leaders for the next week: Those counselors were also former campers at Camp Carolina Trails. After unpacking and getting settled in, my parents told me goodbye and gave me their last hugs for a whole week. It was hard for my parents to leave me to people they had just met; however, the welcoming environment among the counselors and staff set their minds at ease.

   

     Since I was in the youngest age group at camp, there were only a few girls in my cabin out of twelve who had been there before; which was helpful, we weren't starting out “alone.” The first few hours at camp were spent getting to know things about each other such as: names, where you're from, age, grade, school, pets, family, etc. Among that list of things we talked about, there was one topic in particular that would not be discussed at a typical summer camp, How long have you had diabetes? When it came my turn to answer that question in the group, I told them I was diagnosed at age 2 (meaning I had diabetes for nearly 9 years at the time). After answering the question, there were no responses such as, “Oh my gosh you were so young.” or the typical “Oh wow so I guess that means you can't eat sugar.” I realized I did not have to explain myself or diabetes to anyone there, they already knew because they were just like me, and for all of us, that was normal.

   

     When it came time for the first meal at camp, the cabin counselors escorted me and the rest of the campers in the cabin to the dinner hall. Dinner time was very hectic, older campers running around from table to table giving each other hugs and reuniting (probably) for the first time since last summer. Even the counselors were meeting up with old campers and counselor friends, briefly catching up on life the last year. While sitting at my cabin table I watched as old friendships reunited, it was a sense of encouragement and assurance that CCT is a special place.