To all my friends and homies, I have a confession.

High Trails is SO MUCH FUN. Having gone as a counselor for a week last month, I can assure you that it is a wonderful time filled with pure love and experience. I would not have wanted to be anywhere else in the world; stay tuned to find out why!!

1.       You are surrounded by wonderful people

The staff is so friendly, and I probably met well over 50 of them (which is a lot)! Everyone is so open and down-to-earth. The staff introduce themselves and genuinely want to get to know you as a person. As their cooler, older high school counselor, the 6^th graders absolutely love you. The kids in your cabin will latch onto you and love you for everything you are. The best part though is meeting counselors from other high schools, and sometimes from your own. Personally, I got to know and enjoy being in the presence of so many people from different schools, and it was truly a great experience. There is such a variety of unique people, all united by one common interest: the love of the outdoors and human experience.

2.       You are in a beautiful environment

Located on over 100 acres of land, High Trails is smack-dab in the middle of miles of breathtaking, secluded nature. Let me tell you, there is so much beauty to be found in the mountains. Because of the changing season, everywhere I turned there were gorgeous leaves falling from all the trees. Morning hikes- or any hike for that matter- always resulted in the arrival at a view that was really a sight to see. At High Trails, you are simply a human in the middle of a great, big, beautiful world.

3.       You have the opportunity to discover new parts of yourself

High Trails opened my eyes to all the qualities that I never even realized I had. Working with kids every day, all day really accentuates the leadership in each and every counselor. Confidence is essential when leading a group of people, and because of this, I found myself gaining confidence with each day that passed. You also get to tap into the things that make you silly and different, because 6^th graders love it when you do. Everyone is accepted for every part of them, so it is easy to be who you are while discovering more and more about yourself.

4.       You are able to contribute to the 6^th graders’ experiences, memories, and outlook with your very presence

They look up to you. In fact, they want to BE you. At counselor meetings, we would talk about how everything we do around them becomes what they want to mimic and start doing. So being in this position, you can easily turn a kid who hates the outdoors into a nature-loving human being. Also, you are with them the majority of the time you are there, and your attitude is contagious. They love being with you and experiencing all that High Trails has to offer with you by their side. You have the power to make the week one of the best memories they have from middle school, because they WILL remember you if you want them to.  

5.       It’s a HAPPY place.

It truly is. Like I said before, attitudes are contagious. The High Trails staff is always happy and it really shows through everything they do. And from there it’s a train effect- counselors are happy and 6^th graders are happy. In this crazy world, it doesn’t get much better than being happy amongst other happy humans in a beautiful place. Oh, and counselor meetings are actually the best thing ever. After a busy day with the kids, you go to the lodge to hang out with friends and listen to good music while eating ice cream or nachos (not together!!!).

6.       And lastly, you get to miss almost A WEEK of school!!

Being away from school is a huge break from stress, drama, and worries. We teach the 6^th graders about changes in perspective, and we all experience exactly that up at High Trails. It’s a whole different world out there, and suddenly you realize that your upcoming math test is not the most important thing in your life. At High Trails, it’s just you and the world. The world is your oyster, and your experience is what you make of it.

“We are the sum total of our experiences. Those experiences – be they positive or negative – make us the person we are, at any given point in our lives. And, like a flowing river, those same experiences, and those yet to come, continue to influence and reshape the person we are, and the person we become. None of us are the same as we were yesterday, nor will we be tomorrow.” -B.J. Neblett