Greetings from the Realm – it’s Gilban here!

What a beautiful day we had today in Freedom! I arrived late morning from NYC after closing out the school year and dismissing my students for a well-deserved summer. When I landed in Boston, the skies were gray and the air chillier than I’d anticipated, but the moment I stepped out of the car and onto camp grounds an hour later, the sun was shining, the air was warm, campers were happily up and about at activities, and I could hear music playing all around. Welcome home, I thought.

Despite many years as a camper at Robin Hood and after two years on staff, I felt nervous coming back and taking on an administrative role; I loved and cherished my time as both a camper and counselor, and I didn’t know what to expect for my experience at camp in a new position. After just a single day, my worries have faded. The beauty of Robin Hood is its traditions, comradery and inclusivity — all of which every person in camp, old or new, visibly takes part in. Throughout the day, I saw CITs holding younger campers on their backs, a previously homesick boy smiling and dancing in the dining hall, all of camp simultaneously belting out the chorus to “Shallow,” senior camp boys throwing frisbees on the quad, and middle camp girls listening to music as they made jewelry and created paintings… It is absolutely awesome being able to watch kids be kids, and I’m so grateful I get to be here to continue to be a part of this unique, incredible, welcoming family.

Even now as I’m writing this note, I can see campers running with smiles to their evening activities, I hear songs being sung from girls camp, laughs from the soccer field, and counselors making announcements to their campers over the loudspeaker: “Shires! The Hunger Games have begun! Head to the Cornicopia!!!” I can’t wait for many more days just like this one.

Sweet Dreams from The Realm
Julia Gilban-Cohen