By Lizzie Norwood ’18, Contributor

The Junior Rafting trip is a beloved Country Day tradition, and until I participated in it myself, I didn’t understand why there was so much excitement surrounding it. Little did I know that a 6-hour bus ride into the mountains of West Virginia could free me from the stresses of everyday school life, providing me with a great opportunity to grow in my friendships and rediscover the joys of the outdoors. I think I even bonded with the chaperones on the trip!

Honestly, the most unpleasant aspect of the trip was how difficult it was to get clean. The communal showers were always swarmed with other people at the camp (except during a spattering of opportune times). The hard work it took to rinse the dust out of my hair was always wasted as I had to immediately reenter the humid outdoors as soon as I toweled off due to the trip’s tight schedule.

Even though it cut my shower time short, the tight schedule was one of the keys to the trip’s success. The trip’s organizers did a good job making sure there was never a lull in the action; in between the ropes course, the chaperone’s scheduled recreation time, and the rafting itself, I never remember looking to do anything to fill time.

The trip was overwhelmingly positive for me—even though some of my peers and the chaperones could get a little out of control at times, I don’t think that anyone that went on the trip got lost in the commotion. Examining the trip through both a social and an activity-based lens, I think that the Junior Rafting Trip is well balanced and truly iconic, and for good reason.