Towering Pines Blog

November is a notoriously happy time for a lot of reasons, namely the first snowfall, imminent holidays and promise of winter break in less than a month. But as a winter chill enters the air, it also brings about a certain nostalgia, because it feels like camp has never been further away. At least while it was still warm out, we could pretend like Eagle River was still within our reach, as if we had only just left the Northwoods or maybe—if we closed our eyes and tried really hard to imagine it—as if we were still there. The memories tend to linger longer when the sun is still warm on our cheeks and our backs and school hasn’t quite started yet.

But when winter comes around, it’s a cold reminder that there are still some long months ahead of us before we can head back to camp, and we want nothing more than to be surrounded by our camp friends and family.  Lucky for us, the Jordan family knows exactly how we feel. They bring us all back together under one roof on the glorious Saturday in November that we all know as camp reunion day.

To me, the camp reunion is that extra push of motivation to power through the cold weather and the reassurance that, once June rolls around, the wait will be worth it. You are reunited with all of your favorite people and, even in the cold, un-camp-like weather, you are filled with a warmth that reminds you a little bit of Lake Nokomis, horses and fresh bug juice.

When I was younger and had neither the access to a car nor means of communication to visit my friends who lived hours away, my mom would dutifully drive me to the camp reunion every November so that I could see the people that I loved so much. And even as I grew older and could drive myself, I relished in the chance to be surrounded by the people, pictures and memories that helped me remember that camp is something I can’t live without.

This is the first November in almost thirteen years that I won’t be able to make it to the reunion, so I know that I’ll be surfing through the camp website for photos that can try to replace the happiness that I feel when I’m there. It’s a weaker substitute, but just knowing that other campers and staff will be reuniting, reliving the days of summers past and chatting excitedly about summers future, will help me thaw the icy feeling that living in a world without Towering Pines/Woodland tends to bring.

Come November 22^nd, I know I would probably give anything to be at the camp reunion. So if you have the chance to get yourself there—whether it be by driving, carpooling or even biking—I highly suggest that you take it!

Natalie Behnke