5 sessions. 5 cabins. 50 campers to call my own. this last summer has been one i’ll never forget. i had the absolute privilege of surrounding myself with some of the most remarkable queer youth and see a vision through the lenses of the future leaders of our world. growing up, i never had the chance of going to summer camp, i never even really considered it. later in life, it’s safe to say the desire to be outdoors still never sparked. but like many things, brave trials changed my perspective on life, the beauty of nature, and the astounding power you can yield when you have true community. i have been shown what it means to have compassion, patience, humanity, grace, and flexibility. from late night campfire chats and s’mores nights to mud parties during lake day, i feel like faith in both myself and the LGBTQIA+ social agenda has been fueled in a way that cannot be amounted to through just words. my gender journey has been one i’ve always struggled with, so to feel such infectious love, support, and warmth from not only the directors board, staff, and volunteers but from kids wise beyond their time was truly otherworldly. i urge you to listen to todays youth. they are so, so ambitious, hungry to know more, and most importantly, gentle. i look back at myself when i was 13, 14, 15 and am taken aback at the stark contrast in social awareness. i could barely remember what day it was, much less create space for my peers and even those unknown, have those hard conversations with not a hint of conflict that most adults avoids, or be as dynamic and trailblazing as i’ve witnessed these last three months. my heart is absolutely overwhelmed as i reintegrate in a world that now seems foreign comparatively. we still have so much work to do, but believe me when i say, @bravetrails and their campers are just the leaders to shake the table. @jweissbuch @kaylaology @there.goes.jake @more_is_more @instacoby thank you for bringing a world of dreams to life. the ambiance and culture you’ve cultivated is truly queer heaven and the work you’re doing has already created a legacy. thank you for showing me what it means to be brave. i’ll always #makeitlikecamp 🌈✨