Adult Summer Camp
- Jul 15, 2019
- 3 min read
Actors in community theatre know it is coming. Even before the final curtain call, we can sense it's presence. As we strike the set, we can already feel it setting in. The days that follow every production are filled with a numb sadness: the post-production blues. So, as I return from another week-long bicycle tour (a beautiful 300+ mile trip through the central UP), I am feeling that familiar heaviness that usually follows closing night of a play.
As we shared the week's last beer together in Manistique, my new friend Matt the Philsopher (he is a Philosophy Professor at a college out East- so that's how I entered his contact info in my phone) perfectly described the week's adventure as adult summer camp. Yes. Perfect.
As 12-year olds, we are dropped by our parents at summer camp for a week of adventure, self-discovery, and challenge. Crafts, games, and learning outdoor skills become the conduit for learning about ourselves. Late-night talks over campfires with counselors and cabin-mates can inform our 12-year old perspectives on the world, can shape how we see ourselves.
Don't believe me? Think I'm over-selling it? Watch this and tell me that summer camp didn't have a lasting impact on Woody the Wabbit (Meatballs, 1979).
Watch this and tell me that summer camp doesn't inspire people to greater things!
For certain, I come home from MUP a different person than when I left. A week in the saddle on a quite northern Michigan road provides a lot of opportunity to re-think the current state of life and how you can do it better.
But when he called bike tours adult summer camps, I think Matt the Philosopher was really talking about the relationships you build and the experiences you share while on the tour.
Among the 250+ bicyclists who rode the same roads, ate the same meals, and slept in the same conditions over the last week, there are a handful with whom I connected in ways I will remember for quite some time. These are the folks who pulled me up the hills when I was struggling, the friends I shared a beer with after the ride ("Just 1, though, and then I'm going back to the campground."), and the ones with whom I shared some real and honest conversations.
Like summer camp, bike tours come to an end. You can't keep pedaling forever. You have too get back to real life at some point. And while you share contact info and earnest promises to connect again soon, you know it won't be the same.
This is where the heaviness comes in.
You can't turn the days back, nor can you make time stand still, but (and here's this week's lesson kids) how you use this moment will determine how you move into the next. So, I will shake these blues, and take these MUP memories, allowing them move me to become a better and happier person.
Travis,
Thanks for the great riding! Of the 100 miles or so that we rode together last week, you must have pulled about 75 of them. You really kept me going!
Jerrick, Matt and Terry (and Travis again),
Thanks for the hard work last week. There was never a doubt that your top concern was for LMB riders and making sure they were well taken care of. Second, getting out and riding bikes. Third, finding a dive bar and having a great time!
Norma,
Thanks for always being there.
Johannes,
I will never be as good at fathering as you are with Nora. Every mile you pulled that trailer was an inspiration to me. She is so blessed to have you to share a lifetime of adventures with!
The GRITT Girls from Holland,
Thank you for the positive attitudes, patience, great times, and the best cup of coffee all week. Plus, we become minor celebrities in the UP together.
Steffanie,
Really bad pool, but really good talks! Thanks for listening. Thanks for the long walk up a long hill after too many drinks. My only regret is missing the jump from Black Rock in Marquette.
Scott,
You killed it. Great job! Moving 250+ of anything from one UP location to another is a huge undertaking...Considering that those 250+ things were all on two wheels and need to be fed and watered a few times a day, what you accomplished was a near miracle. You carried a lot of pressure, fielded too many complaints, and gracefully solved all the problems. It was an honor to work with you.
One more stupid video of Summer Camp....
If you make one good friend a summer, then you're doing pretty well. If that's true, then this summer has already been a huge success!
I'm all ready for Shoreline West in another 3 weeks; 360 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline from Montague to Mackinac. Another adventure with, I am sure, more lessons to teach me.
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