48 Hours of Nothing but “Yes!”

“To be human is to have problems.”

– Lauren Huffman, Life of Yes! Sleepaway Camp, Somewhere Magical, Wisconsin

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I arrived at the designated meeting spot in Chicago not knowing:

1. Where I was going.
2. With whom I was going.
3. What I was to be doing once I got going.

And this is the premise of the Life of Yes! Sleepaway Camp. It’s a place to disconnect from devices and connect with others while also reconnecting with yourself. But first, you arrive at the designated meeting spot before being whisked away in an unmarked van, filled with strangers, to Somewhere Magical, Wisconsin. For me, this was the perfect situation, as I didn’t have to plan activities or reserve accommodations or map out routes. And as a bonus, I didn’t have to coordinate with anyone, as you must arrive solo to participate in Life of Yes! Sleepaway Camp. This was the perfect opportunity for me to just show up and go along with whatever would unfold.

Over the course of 48 hours a lot happened. For example:

• 14 Chicago people, 1 Milwaukee person, 1 Denver person and 1 New Yorker played games.
• 16 women and 1 man listened to a mix tape while creating visionary art.
• 17 people said, “yes” to the experience and all 17 of those people have problems.

I don’t point this out to be negative. Instead, I point this out to highlight the fact that we’re all human and we all have problems. We’re all on our own journeys and we don’t know what stories lie behind the faces we meet along the way. While we may be unique in a number of ways, we all want to push through darkness to find what The Smiths sang about in the ‘80s: love, peace and happiness. The difference between the song and real life is that we want this now – not in the next world. So how do we find this? One way is through community.

The amazing thing that happens in safe – although vulnerable – situations such as summer camps or retreats is that people go through a shared experience, which accelerates the bonding process so as to create an insta-community. In 48 hours, I was able to appreciate and celebrate 16 other people for traits such as:

1. Being a dedicated animal advocate.
2. Creating community through food.
3. Making people laugh – a lot.
4. Collecting words to further the poetic spirit within.
5. Developing teams through play.
6. Being a well-traveled hostess.
7. Using manufacturing for good.
8. Being an adventurous spirit despite a traditional job title.
9. Developing a spiritual guide.
10. Creating intoxicating positive energy.
11. Interacting with people in a lovely, grounding way.
12. Connecting others to others and to themselves.
13. Serving as a cheerleader and support person.
14. Being a creative soul via entrepreneurial pursuits.
15. Exuding a warm, gentle spirit.
16. Embracing coffee shops as a tool for developing relationships.
    

    My own visionary “Yes!” art.

By stepping outside of our daily routines and activities and saying “yes” to this adventure that has more unknowns than knowns, we were all walking into an environment where we could be support and be supported. We could leave the distractions of technology and work and chores aside to be ourselves – with our problems. The important thing is that we came together even though we had no idea who, what or even where was lying ahead. And while we all left with the same problems, we now had some light from ourselves and from each other. And that’s the point. Saying “yes” brings light … to problems, to life and to each other.

I hope you’ll say “yes” whether it’s at camp or at home. Sometimes all it takes to live differently are three letters.

*****

While I would love to write many more details about my Life of Yes! Sleepaway Camp experience, I believe it’s more powerful to keep the mystery intact in case you decide to go. In the meantime, I invite you to say “yes” to strangers in strange places with strange activities. Please let me know what you discover in your own Life of Yes!