DAY ONE
Our first day was a long one, spanning more than 700 miles across six different states but it was clear from the enthusiasm on both busses that students were thrilled to be back together. While we caught a few picturesque glimpses of nature from the highway, we arrived at camp after dark so students haven’t yet taken in the full beauty of their surroundings—but they’ll undoubtedly be surprised by something quite different from Chicago when the sun comes up. 

As you’ll read through the words of Asher, Claire, Danny, Ashley and Zoe, the time was filled with chess games, movies, pizza and a general enthusiasm for the journey ahead. Read about day one by clicking 'Read More' below and don’t forget to check-out all the photos in the gallery.
 

Asher S.
The day started off with all the kids on BZ field. We gathered in our point person groups and I couldn’t have been more excited. My excitement rose as I got my roommate and bus partner, Zach S. I knew it was going to be an amazing trip. When we got on the bus everyone filed into their seats and brought out their own sets of games, pillows and conversational topics. As the ride went on many games of chess were played, I mean lots and lots of games of chess were played. Around two and half hours in, we made our first stop at Blaze Pizza. Everyone exited the bus and began to stretch their legs. After 30 minutes of eating and talking with the people on the other bus, the ride picked back up. I personally took this as a chance to nap, using my bus-mates pillow (thanks Zach!). I woke up to an assortment of laughter as a game of what do you meme (I think) was played. After six more hours, we made our last pitstop at Panara. The masses ordered grilled cheese (which was the move). In the final leg of our journey, we all watched Harry Potter and Big together.

Claire D.
We started the day by going to school and waiting with our Tiyul groups, while we got assigned our partners. I was very excited as my two partners (who were our roommates) were Jordan and Zoli. After that, we boarded the bus and headed off to Georgia. However, I quickly became bored because my earphones were not working properly, and I could only hear out of one ear. I fixed this problem by borrowing one of my friend’s earphones. We soon got breakfast on the bus, which was bagels and oranges, with apple juice as a drink. After a few more hours on the road, we stopped for a break in Indiana. Then, a couple of hours later, we stopped again for lunch, at Blaze Pizza. I was able to sit in the sun and watch my classmates play a few games of chess, which was really nice. We then got back on the bus and stayed there for a few more hours, and during that time, we watched a couple of movies, played some board games, and planned for a few of our friend’s birthdays, which will be coming up later this week. We finally stopped for dinner, which was at Panera. I liked my dinner because we were able to choose it, and I got a Caprese sandwich.

Danny G.
The bus trip has been great so far. Although the bus ride has been long, we’ve made the most of it through listening to music and playing many chess tournaments. We had Blaze Pizza for lunch and Panera for dinner; fortunately, we all got to socialize with the whole grade, and we enjoyed it very much. Currently, we are waiting to get back on the road after a great meal at Panera, and we expect to get to the camp in about three hours. We are all looking forward to getting there. I am especially excited to play capture the flag!

Ashley S. and Zoe J.
After saying goodbye to our family members, we headed off to Georgia. For the first stop on the bus, we took a little walking break. Then we played some card games, a chess tournament, some people did art projects and many people slept. Our next stop was lunch at Blaze Pizza and we got to sit outside talking with the whole grade. Our last stop was Panera which was our dinner and it was really good. We are looking forward to rock climbing, sleep and many fun days.

Sunday, April 18 Photo Gallery