Summer ’24 Highlights: Camps, Travels, Adventures, & Inspiration

As summer comes to a close, I’ve spent some time reflecting on my experiences. During these past few months, my life has felt full in the best way possible, and it’s leaving me with so much gratitude as I enter my junior year. I’m now sharing my summer takeaways in the hopes that they’ll inspire you!

CCU Discovery Preview Week

After coming to Colorado in the spring of 2023, I couldn’t wait to return to Denver for a week-long summer camp at Colorado Christian University. I had a friend join me on the flight there, and we finished out the week with new memories, new friends, and a new sense of purpose. The Christ-filled community aspect was one of my favorite parts.

I don’t know what the future holds, but if I end up attending CCU, it’s looking bright!

Camp theme: ‘Discover Your Purpose’

Favorite chapel quotes:

“These days we receive a lot of calls–from the world, culture, friends, God. You don’t have to answer every call that you receive. The calls that you do answer will determine the life that you live.”

~ Pastor Jordan Arce

“We aren’t inviting Jesus into our story; He’s inviting us into His story.”

~ Pastor Jordan ARce

Best memories:

• Morning small group Bible studies outside the cafeteria after breakfast
• Thought-provoking chapel sermons + inspiring worship songs
• Whitewater rafting down Clear Creek in Idaho Springs (It was an adventure… and I’ve never been so cold in my life!)
• Watching a Rockies game (Rockies won!) and then jumping around and singing ‘Party in the USA’ outside the stadium afterwards
• Bus rides (Think deep conversations, gorgeous sunsets + mountain views, road trip games, and karaoke)
• Staying up ’til midnight and then waking up at 5 for early morning runs around campus (Hey, the tiredness didn’t set in until I got home)
• Playing pickup volleyball in between the workshop sessions
• End-of-the week picnic (even though a thunderstorm came)

Awana Leadership Camp

Every summer since 6th grade, I’ve been coming to this life-changing camp with my church’s Awana program. This year was extra special because I’ve grown close to my friends over all these years.

Camp themes: Worldview (chapel) + becoming Christlike (Bible study)

Favorite chapel quotes:

“Prayers of gratitude are our way to remind ourselves of Who God is.”

~ Chapel Speaker

“God is both our Father and our King. You can come to Him with requests worthy of a king, but He’s also a father who wants to hear everything that’s on your heart.”

~ Chapel Speaker

Best memories:

• The drive up the beautiful mountain roads
• Spending time with friends (deep conversations by the creek + hanging out by the snack shack)
• Sharing a bunk bed with one of my close friends
• Chapel + worship + Bible studies
• Playing games
• Inside jokes
• Camp parody of ‘Don’t Stop Believing’
• Running down the mountain road at sunrise each morning (I might’ve got a reputation for keeping up with the boys, haha)
• Ziplining
• My 11-year-old sister joining for the first time
• Memorizing Colossians 1:9-14 + Romans 8:28-29 + Ephesians 2:10
• Listening to testimonies and sharing my own
• Quiet moments to pray
• Looking up at the moon + stars during nighttime walks

Family Vacation

Destination: Kauai, HI

I loved exploring the beautiful Garden Isle and making memories through my little adventures. I’ll never forget the first day–I spent the morning running around the island, and I ended up at a dirt road. The thing is, when I come across a dirt road, I can’t help but want to go down it… and it led to a lighthouse at the edge of the island, where the waves crashed against the shore.

One of my other favorite parts was ziplining through the rainforest. I’ve always wanted to jump into a random lake in the middle of a rainforest, and I got to check that off my bucket list when one of the ziplines ended by dropping into a lake!

My siblings and I decided to swim to a small island, but it turned into a little misadventure when we got stuck in a coral reef on the way back (but at least we got to see a turtle on the island). We also found a rope swing by a river, and we jumped off the pier at Hanalei Bay. And we had a fun time swimming in the waves after hiking the Na ‘Pali coast.

Another favorite moment happened when I swam out past where the waves break. My favorite part of the ocean is there, just where the water becomes calm. A sense of peace washed over me as I treaded the water, its coolness brushing against my skin. As I looked ahead at the endless blue horizon, I broke out into prayer, and suddenly I was just pouring my whole heart out to God. And then, way out in the distance, I saw a dolphin (my favorite animal) jump. It felt pretty special–like God telling me that I wasn’t alone, you know?

Vacation Bible School

Every summer, my church hosts a week-long half-day Bible camp for the kids, and I volunteer as an assistant leader. This year was the most fun one I’ve had, and I loved having my 7-year-old sister in my small group of incoming second-graders.

Camp themes: Creation to eternity (Biblical theme) + Amazon rainforest

Best memories:

• Developing friendships with the kids + helping them grow closer to God
• Helping the kids play games + cheering them on
• Dancing with my little sister during the worship songs
• Hanging out with my friends from youth group
• Seeing the little girls I led in my Awana group last year

Sports Camp

My school hosts a sports camp for elementary school-aged kids, and a nonprofit organization comes to make the camp accessible for kids with special needs. I volunteered with this organization to be a buddy for a kid with special needs and work under a licensed PT.

Since physical therapy is a field that I’m interested in pursuing, I enjoyed this opportunity so much. As you probably know, sports have played a big part in my life, and I want to be able to give back. Being able to help kids have a similar experience–and show them the love of Christ–means a lot to me.

The rest of my summer… in bullet points ✨

• Summer online college course at CCU
• Prepping for XC season
• Meeting up with friends for long trail runs
• Doing laps in a pool when I miss being on swim team
• Watching the Olympics for a nightly dose of athletic inspiration
• 4th of July (pool party + watching fireworks from the bridge)
• Seeing my 7-year-old sister’s dance recital + my 11-year-old sister’s basketball game (So proud of them both!)
• Road trip to Phoenix to take the SAT (Also… There’s nothing like an Arizona sunset–It’s like God’s painting in the sky)
• Getting ready for my junior year!

And that’s my summer–It flew by so fast, but I grew in more ways than one, and I’m ready to take on a new school year.

I’ll be praying for you as you take on this next season too. Before you go, I’d love to hear about your summer. Feel free to share about it in the comments below! <3