Coming TaHome...

Hey everybody!

I can't believe camp went so fast...where did it all go? I bet you are asking the same thing. Now that you are back in your respective homes, I know you are feeling some of the growing pains of returning home to parents, siblings, and friends that have no idea what happened or how it has changed you. I have been to seven Tahoe camps and it is still hard to come home and "come off the mountain" that is Tahoe. No one at home understands exactly what happened at camp, why it was meaningful, and why you are acting like you are. Just wait until you try to show them the DVD or play some songs for them--they will excitedly watch and listen, but they will never "get" this experience like you (and others who have attended) do. Trust me, I know how hard it is.

After coming home from seven of these, here is what I have discovered:

1. It is really important to keep that "Tahoe Love" alive by keeping in touch with people from camp. With email, Myspace, and facebook, it has never been easier to just drop a note to someone and let them know how much you miss them. Even when school picks up and you get stressed, you'll sit back sometimes, wish you were back at Tahoe and you'll smile when you think of those people. Let them know that... Many of you live near each other, so set up regular reunions/outtings--if they are important to you, you will make the effort!

2. Layout five things from camp that you want to implement into your school or STUCO. Make sure you write them out and understand how they will be implemented, who will implement them, and why they are important. Your advisors will be excited about anything you are excited about!

This is where it gets hard!

3. You have to look at your Tahoe experience objectively, and ask yourself, "Beyond the amazing people I met and the way Tahoe made me feel, what did I really get out of camp?" By doing this, you establish the tangible worth of the camp experience for your principals, your advisors, your parents, and yourself. Telling your principal, "I have never felt more alive than I felt at camp" is OK; but, if you could tell her/him, "I learned a lot about appreciating diversity here at school and the art of delegation" she/he is going to be VERY impressed and they will:
A. Want to send kids next year (a must!)
B. Ask you to articulate your experiences to potential scholarship committees or in front of the school board (it has happened!)
C. All of the above (Correct!)

I will tell you what I got out of my first year at Tahoe: I looked at everyone around me and I saw that everybody there lived leadership. It wasn't something they did, it wasn't the position they held, it was who they were. I realized that leadership was a way of life and I realized that I wanted to live it daily--by doing the right things, by helping others, and by taking responsibility. Ryan Holdeman will tell you that he realized that relationships are deeper at camp because people are more honest about who they are, so he determined to be more honest in his relationships at home and appreciate true friendships at home. Whatever it is for you, look deep to find it. This will be something that will be crucial to articulate for college essays, interviews, and resumes.

4. Don't say that you learned "leadership" camp! Be more specific. Many of you will elaborate on your Lake Tahoe experience in college essays and interviews, which is great! When you do, though, you have to be articulate and you have to have a clear understanding of what about leadership, exactly, you learned. You may have learned about your leadership style, how good leaders handle conflict, what makes a leader (and it isn't a title or seniority!), or how you can better support your followers and constituents. Whatever it is, be able to say three things definitively that you learned about leadership. (TIP: Singing silly songs isn't exactly leadership, but being yourself and not worrying about what others think IS leadership!)

5. Identify something from camp that you can incorporate into your everyday life. I don't mean play Tahoe 500 in your street everyday or sing "Man of the Sea" (although I do recommend it in the shower!). I mean that you should look back at camp and say, "What one or two things from camp can I do/work on/live by that will make my life better?" Maybe it was something you got from a JC gift, maybe it was the realization that community service really gives you a sense of worth that you don't find elsewhere--IT DOESNT MATTER!

**This is why this is important**

If you don't find something from camp that you can use in your daily life, the "Tahoe feeling" inside of you will slowly wilt away. If you don't find someway to keep Tahoe alive in your everyday life, Tahoe will become a place you once were, people you once knew, and a feeling you once felt. If you can find a way to do something/implement something from camp into your daily life, then Tahoe is as alive today and tomorrow as it was when we sang, cried, and laughed together at camp. I know this to be true because I have had seven year's worth of practice! Whenever I find myself struggling through life a little, I know I am losing sight of what I have learned at that wonderful camp and what my purpose is in life. As soon as I realize that I am not appreciating people and looking at life in the context of leadership, I snap back into it and I am in good shape again!

My friends, I hope this helps, even just a little. Nothing is harder than coming back home from an experience like Lake Tahoe. Somehow, that special spot on the lake touches everyone in ways you would never expect. But, it is our responsibility as leaders not to live in the clouds (of Tahoe) or to dwell in the past! We must look forward and realize that Tahoe can change our lives, if we just figure out how! If I can help any of you talk/think/cry through things, I am always happy to do so. YOU JUST LET ME KNOW!

I am here for you, always.

Tahoe Love,
Ryan