More than just a summer camp
I used to dread going on my family’s annual summer camping trips when I was a kid. I’d come to expect a weekend of poorly-maintained public bathrooms, record-breaking amounts of mosquito bites, and the worst nights of sleep on a half-deflated air mattress. What I always looked forward to most about going camping was when we’d finally leave.So I was surprised with myself for signing up to go to a summer camp for the first time at the age of 20.My mom was confused as to why I wanted to fly from Toronto all the way to Nashville, TN for a camp. “What’s so special about it?” she asked.
My friend Lara and I had been daydreaming about going to Camp Gritty for months after learning about it from artist Charla Vail’s Instagram page. The photos of camp depicted a unique environment, one that promoted themes of female empowerment and friendship overlaid with cute arts and crafts activities.
Lara had moved away to Victoria, BC after our high school graduation, but we’d kept in touch, planning trips to see each other at least once a year. So when we found out that registration for year two of Camp Gritty was happening, we knew this would become our next trip.
Now past its second year, Camp Gritty is an annual summer camp for women hosted by artist Charla Vail Effron and described as “an adult summer camp meant to bring like-minded people together in an environment that is safe and embracing.”
Hailing from all over the United States, the U.K., Russia, Australia, and of course, Canada, the group of 100 campers all congregated at Fall Creek Falls State Park to enjoy the company of new friends.
Activities included 24/7 arts and crafts cabins, tattoos by Kerry Burke and Kimber Fowler, a hair dye/shave party, a talent show and more, punctuated with five days’ worth of mouth-watering vegetarian and vegan food.
As the week went on, I became more comfortable with the rest of the campers, making great friends with my cabin mates in particular:
Allie — a skilled makeup artist and writer in arms
Grace — a diligent and creative baker
Brie — the best storyteller with the brightest personality
Lauren — a passionate photographer, videographer, and fellow Canadian
Lara — one of my best friends and a multitalented musician
We hiked to see the falls, painted our faces with glitter, embroidered our clothes, shared stories, and even cried together. At the end of camp, a few of us even went on to hang out in downtown Nashville for our last few days of vacation.
Though we all went home to our separate provinces and states at the end of August, we still stay in contact through social media. We’ve even made tentative plans to see each other again next summer.
Camp Gritty is more than just a summer camp — it’s a community. We give kind words of encouragement, share pictures that remind us of camp, and send snail mail to one another. We may not get to see each other every day, but I think of them every time I hear Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
Photos by Lauren Schroer