At dinner, all the counselors rose up on the tables and shouted out a sort of drama. I had trouble concentrating because their bright orange bandanas danced about the room like fireworks. There was something about an ancient Indian whose name I didn’t catch. He set a goal to canoe to the end of the world, but his tribe laughed at him. I didn’t think it was that bad of an idea.

They whooped and swung their hands above their heads. Then they introduced me and my sister, this time to people actually listening. Everyone clapped and egged on the nerdy high school kids we looked up to for guidance in the woods.

After the sun went down, not much else was said. A few stares from fellow Tochoco cabin mates wasn’t making me nervous. It was what was going to happen in the morning.