June 28- Salt Lake City- Utah

When meeting all the kids at the airport you could see on their faces how excited they were to meet new friends and have an adventurous summer. After meeting each kid, I knew I wanted to try and get to know each one and make this a summer of a lifetime for them. Our first night of the trip was camping in Utah. Many of the kids were not thrilled that we had to camp. However, camping gives kids a chance to bond with one another. I bet by the end of the trip the kids will be glad we went camping, and also acquire many new skills. Each camper is divided into work groups that include a rotation of food preparation, doing the dishes, and cleaning up the campsite before we head out to our next destination. Arriving in Utah was an amazing experience. The scenery is breathtaking. The mountains are gorgeous. I felt like I was part of a spectacular painting. After going over the policies and playing some icebreaker games with the kids, we had an amazing dinner. This was not a normal camp dinner. We ate chicken, steak, salmon, asparagus and salad! Later on that night, we went to the local Lagoon Amusement Park where the children had the chance to ride roller coasters. (Half of them I wouldn’t even go on.) The kids seemed to have a blast and were already making new friends. I am excited to see what the rest of this trip brings. We have lots more to explore and do!