I'll be the first to admit it... The idea of camp isn't immediately exciting to me, but then again, apart from that one time when my family spent an evening under the stars, because it was too late to drive back on unlit roads, I haven't really been camping. So when I learned of the Rotman Orientation Camp, and how it is a rite of passage for any Rotman MBA student, I wasn't exactly jumping for joy. But I could certainly see the joy in the faces of all the Upper-Years who attended camp last year, and spoke of the Rotman Orientation Camp with wistful nostalgia. And the idea of being able to see more of Canada (I haven't really stepped outside of Toronto) was quite exciting, and the fact that Camp was in the midst of natural beauty, right by the lake, was the icing on the top.
I was hoping to at least get a glimpse of Canada's famous natural beauty, and I wasn't disappointed. From the driving through the small towns, with quaint homes & quirky mailboxes; to driving past the cozy cottages right by the lakes; and all the way up to Camp Northland, surrounded by beautiful trees, quiet mountains & a serene lake, it was breathtaking.
The GBC promised that Orientation Camp would be an action-packed weekend, and they didn't disappoint. With fun activities ranging from the academic (when you're at Rotman, your introduction to Integrative Thinking begins at camp!), to the associations (consulting cases, business design, live advertisements, creative story-telling, and adrenaline-inducing trading game!), to the athletic (adapted playground games, races, scavenger hunts, and even a little bit of golf!), to the amusing (themed-costume party on 'when I grow up...' and bonfires by the lake), to the animated (school spirit, and our year's big group photo in our Rotman t-shirts), there wasn't a moment for boredom. The only time people really groaned was when they realized camp was over, and classes would begin in less than 48 hours! Will have to chronicle my thoughts on that roller-coaster ride pretty soon!