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Well, 2020 has been a difficult year to say the least. From the child's perspective, their lives were completely transformed in the blink of an eye. Seeing their classmates, friends and family in person quickly turned into online learning, staying indoors, and wearing masks when in public. From my perspective, these last few months have been some of the most challenging work of my life. As a member of the marketing team, I had to get the word out about our new adapted programs immediately while still also helping develop them. I worked with different teams, everyday things changed and my work was different. It was exhilarating, stressful, exciting and emotionally draining—quite the learning experience and one that I will never forget.

For most of us, the Coronavirus, COVID-19 has derailed our normal routines and everyday lives. And it’s so easy to get caught up in the pandemonium, letting fear and anxiety take control. Your kids might even pick up on your feelings of worry and start to feel the same way.

Imagine campers sitting around the table, not a cell phone in sight, as they eat a meal together in the dining hall at Resident Camp. The sound of laughter and joking around rings throughout the cafeteria as kids plan for a skit night that evening. Or, imagine kids working together to set up basecamp on an Expedition. They sit around the campfire trading stories, making s'mores and playing card games before a day of mountain biking the next day. These moments may easily come to mind when you picture what overnight camp is like at Avid4 Adventure. What you can’t see though are the transformations that happen—the moments that become punctuation points in a child’s life leaving them forever changed as they continue their adventures after camp is over. These experiences are so meaningful because they represent the transformative power of the outdoors, friendships and strong role models. Below are two stories that highlight these very special experiences.

Parents regularly tell us that one of their favorite things about our summer day and overnight camps is that we take kids to real, local, outdoor recreation areas for rock climbing, biking, hiking and water sports. After camp is over, often kids will want to bring their families and friends to these locations and teach them all the skills they've learned during the week. These locations become areas families can keep visiting to continue their outdoor adventures together. With locations across the Bay Area of California, the Front Range of Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington, we visit a lot of recreation areas.

Do you take your natural environment for granted? At times, I know I do. I’m grateful to live in Colorado where beautiful, easily accessible outdoor recreation areas abound. It’s a privilege to have grown up here and experienced the outdoors starting at a young age. However, it’s easy to think that these outdoor spaces will be around to enjoy forever. With climate change and other challenges our planet is facing—the reality is—that’s not for certain.