Good fortune to you, new friends!
Call me Kyle.
I hail from The Great Plains, the heartiest of the Heartlands, The Hawkeye State. Home to the Butter Cow and the Nation’s First Presidential Caucus… IOWA.
As I write, I am snug inside my cozy acreage home just north of Mason City. It is the deepest part of winter here, and outside I see a thick blanket of blindingly white snow drifted up the sides of the barn, fence, and trees. The Polar Vortex has just subsided, relinquishing its -50 degree Fahrenheit icy grip, and leaving behind several feet of heavy snow.
So, I close my eyes and imagine Camp Augusta. The sights, the sounds, the smells! I am so excited to share another Summer frolicking through the big trees, sleeping under the stars, exploring our imaginations with fun wake ups, never ending games, story experiences and embers and so much more!
2019 will be my second Summer at Camp Augusta! I am returning to a new village: Pine! My ideal Summer will be spent exploring the endless opportunities for creative expression and being of service to you while you make your experience at camp exciting, joyful, and fun!
You should know I am an older lad. I hatched in 1983. The same year as the space shuttle Challenger’s maiden flight, the debut of the Mario Bros original arcade game, and the debut of Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock, also the year Motorola introduced the world’s first mobile phones! Exciting times. I have experienced so much life, that I am basically an old, old, very wise and respected man of many talents and a keeper of the deep knowledge of the long, long ago before times. I am excited to share of the heaps of forgotten knowledge with you, if you know the right questions to ask!
I am a wizard in more ways than one! I am also an accomplished and passionate quidditch player. Thats right! I am a founding member of the Long Beach Funky Quaffles, also a founding member of the Los Angeles Gambits, and I played for three seasons on the Lost Boys Quidditch Club, and I played and coach for the LA Guardians MLQ team! We ride brooms, we get beat with bludgers, we catch snitches! I am a hairy wizard!
I am a world traveler! I once lived in China where I was a school teacher. I have climb two of the five sacred mountains in China. I have traveled the Silk Road and seen the terra cotta army of Emperor Qin in Xi’An. I have seen Chairman Mao’s entombed body in Tiananmen Square and explored the Forbidden City of Beijing, I have strolled the streets and dark alleys of Hong Kong, I have gazed in awe at the cityscape of Shanghai from the top of the Shanghai World Financial Center building (500m up!), I have explored the Yangtze River, and held a young panda in my lap in the Chengdu Panda Preserve. China is a very beautiful and amazing place for adventuring!
I also lived and worked in Dubai, UAE, which is an outrageous city of extremes. The city is only 40 years old, and is a home to architectural dreams (and nightmares) including the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa which is over 800m tall! The view from the observation deck is magnificent at sunrise! I helped build the world’s first Virtual Reality Theme Park when I was there. Unforgettable!
I have stood inside the Coliseum, walked the path of Roman Emperors and Senators in the Forum, and explored catacombs beneath ancient churches, and I have explored the Vatican and its endless collection of masterful art work. The Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter’s Basilica, The Pieta, et al. Rome is the eternal city, and is layered like an onion, here modern, here renaissance, here ancient, here medieval. A worthy destination!
I have explored the beaches, jungles, mountains and great cities of Southeast Asia! I love Thailand for it’s food, wildlife, and gentle people. I love Vietnam for its beaches, history, and coffee. I love Bali for its art, the monkeys, and spiritual joy of its Hindu culture!
The world is a magnificent place to explore, and it’s only getting better and easier! Even though I will continue to travel our amazing world, it is my great pleasure to share my favorite place on it, Camp Augusta! Many of you have already enjoyed the thrill of a Summer session, but if you are new to camp, I envy you the most! Camp is filled up(!!!) with amazing people from all over the world, sharing their gifts, skills, and lives all while living working and playing on an incredible expanse of big trees, waterfalls, a lake, and cabins!
When you arrive, be ready to journey into the realm of your imagination! Let your wishes become reality, let your wonder guide you to countless surprises. May you have an amazing and an inspiring and an outrageous Summer adventure that you will look back on with joy forever!
See you soon,
Kyle
