Be Curious at Camp Aranzazu

Written by: Word Adkins, Camp Aranzazu Activity Leader

At Camp Aranzazu, we showcase a new theme for our camp shirts each summer season; “Be Curious” was the slogan on our camp shirts last year (2022). I love this sort of theme because I think it’s a great encouragement for everyone who comes to Camp Aranzazu. This slogan is a strong inspiration in my personal life and greatly influences how I act in the world. What does it mean to “Be Curious” at Camp Aranzazu? I would define being curious as having a strong desire to learn or know something. Another way of framing it might be to compare it to having a sense of wonder. To attain the desired knowledge requires a bit more effort; it requires an expression of that curiosity — something like a question.

Camp stands as a healthy environment to express curiosity and be informed. At Camp Aranzazu, you might wonder what it’s like to take the zipline from the Whooper tower, feel the breeze as you sail, or taste some of the kitchen’s (wonderful) broccoli salad. Maybe you wish you could identify the birds at the bayfront, showcase one of your talents in front of everyone at the talent show, or maybe make a new friend. These are the potential opportunities you might encounter at Camp Aranzazu. I bring up “potential” because I see it as an important aspect of curiosity. Why would anyone want to participate in the above activities? They have the potential to be enjoyable experiences while being an opportunity to grow as an individual. I see “Be Curious” as an invitation to face challenges, respect the potential of those challenges, and to try your best with each new challenge.

What do activity leaders and Camp staff do to stir up curiosity?

Activity leaders inspire curiosity in campers by recognizing the ultimate source of potential, the camper themselves. How can I draw out the potential in a person during their stay at Camp Aranzazu? How can I encourage and support them in whatever they do? How can I help them see their own potential? What are some barriers that I can help them overcome? These are the questions running through our heads when we are facilitating activities at camp. At Camp Aranzazu, we have a philosophy called “challenge by choice” which means that campers have the choice to challenge themselves how they see fit. Many of the challenges offered are adaptable, and we can possibly meet the camper at a place they are more comfortable. Maybe they aren’t ready to go down the zipline, but they might want to set a goal to climb up the tower. If climbing is the challenge, then the option to zipline is still open with our adaptive system allowing for ziplining without the need to climb. These options aren’t possible without our awesome staff who encourage and support campers in all our camp activities, to show all the campers their potential.

How does this translate outside of camp?

There are some interesting challenges that aren’t explicitly scheduled in our programming, like campers spending time with their fun cabin mates. After they’ve done some activities together, they’re able to connect and find similarities, which helps them have even more fun at camp. They might also find that they share similar challenges, maybe even victories. This could be a fear of heights, disgust for broccoli, or being on the other side of chemo. More importantly, our campers find that they are not alone and have a community that loves them and will walk with them on their own difficult paths. At camp, we hope that confidence found in friendship and victories will be lasting. Our campers might find themselves in a similar position outside of camp, thrown in with a bunch of strangers and (in true Camp Aranzazu fashion) look for ways to find connection. My advice remains: Be Curious!

What I’m curious about…

You could probably ask anyone at camp, and they’ll say I ask a lot of questions (if not too many). We have an excellent and thriving bay ecosystem at our bayfront, but we had a rather dry summer which made me curious. Campers probably saw less than half a dozen redfish in the many hours fished, which was different from what I expected to see in the bay. So, I’ve been doing my own methodical investigation. Where are the best fish? What am I catching in each area? On what bait? In what conditions? Going into my investigation, I had a limited knowledge of angling, but I’ve picked up some neat skills like observing tides and currents, as well as throwing a cast net. And as I’ve continued to learn, I’ve wondered how I can now apply this new knowledge to create a better experience for future campers fishing at our bayfront. I’m also not the only one in Rockport chasing fish, so it’s been fun getting to know and learn from other people that are just as curious. I’m not sure that any of this will be useful, but it’s my excuse to spend time at Camp.

Now, I’m curious to see what new camp theme the program team will unveil with this year’s camp shirts!