Camp Ayandeh Blog

The excitement was palpable as campers arrived to Hemlock Overlook, our quaint camp set in the midst of 5,000 acres of Regional Park land in Fairfax County, Virginia. Weeks of anticipation culminated in hugs, greetings, and "ghorbanets" for returning and new campers alike!

After a tour of the camp, the campers were sent in smaller groups to meet their counselors, pairs of IAAB staff who will guide them through the events of the week, and with their new counselor groups, played a trust game called Joe Egg, or, as we like to call it, "Yusef Tokhmemorgh." In this activity, campers surround one fellow camper and create a circle of trust into which he or she can lean into, knowing the other campers will not let each other fall.
Counselor groups were then given an important identity challenge: their group names and cheers! This is a favorite tradition at the Iranian-American Leadership Camp, and poses the first opportunity for the campers to bond while expressing their heritage. This year's counselor group names met the challenge head on!

• Red team: Chilifelfeli (hot chilis)
  
• Light Green team: Ahoo (does - fondly named after the several small deer we have seen around camp!)
• Yellow team: Kookoo Sabzi
• Purple team: Bedamjoon (eggplant)
• Blue team: Chaghdeh Bidum (green almonds)
  
• Dark Green team: Nana (mint)
• Black team: Delbara ("hot stuff")
• Orange team: Atash (fire)

The first day of Camp Ayandeh 2007 ended with the presentation of the counselor group names and cheers, leaving all of us excited for what the rest of the week would hold.

Check back tomorrow for more from the camp, including a re-cap of the team challenge and zipline!