After a spirited bus ride, we arrived at the Princeton-Blairstown Center ready to have some fun. We dropped off our stuff, met our guides, and played a variety of games to get warmed up as small teams that we’ll stick with throughout our time here. We enjoyed a nourishing lunch in the heated dining hall, then headed into the woods for some team-building challenges. We swung, climbed, balanced, crept, rolled, and frolicked our way through a number of problems to be solved. Sometimes we dove right in, and sometimes we debated and tested strategies until we found one that worked.
One of the most popular activities was a low ropes element where we had to swing over hot lava and balance as a group on the other side. For some, it was a simple skip across the void and for others it required courage and support from teammates. A few of us even had to dust ourselves off and try again. The rich discussions after each of the elements have helped us to understand the value of the challenges we faced and make connections to our lives.
Similarly after dinner (where the delicious cake was a big hit!), we headed out into the dusky evening to put on blindfolds and take on some new challenges. We used multiple senses, relied on each other, and practiced the trust and communication skills we had been working on during the day. We even discovered the joy of howling in the darkness and hearing the other distant teams howl back in response.
The setting is beautiful, the guides are phenomenal, and we’re looking forward to a good night’s sleep and another excellent day tomorrow!