Olivia is Excited for her 6th Summer at West!

Favorite Color: dark purple
Favorite Book: I have many, but The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is one of my favorites.
Favorite Song: “Lights” by Ellie Goulding, (and of course any songs that I sing at camp are my favorites!)
Favorite Quotes: “I always knew looking back on the tears would make me laugh, but I never knew looking back on the laughs would make me cry.”- Unknown, and “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…its learning to dance in the rain.”-Unknown.

Hi! My name is Olivia and I live in New York City. I am 14 years old, and when I am not at camp I live on the upper east side of Manhattan with my parents, my 17 year old brother Jesse and my mini dachshund puppy Bodie (my favorite in the family), who I love almost as much as I love camp!

I am a freshman in a Music, Art and Performing Arts High School where I am a vocal major studying voice, as well as all the academic subjects in addition to the music. When auditioning for my high school in November 2011 for voice and oboe, I hoped to be accepted to the school for vocal music just like my mom who graduated from there and my brother who is currently a senior.

I started coming to West the summer of 2008 before I started 5th grade, after being so jealous when I watched my older brother get on the bus for TLW. Seeing my brother on Visiting Day having so much fun, I always hoped that I would soon be up in Roscoe too. In July of 2007 during Visiting Day, my mom took me to see one of the lower camp girl bunks.  She said “Olivia, next summer you will be here with your brother and this is what your bunk will be like.” From then on I knew that the next summer would be my best summer yet because I too would be able to get on the bus and have the time of my life at Timber Lake West.

This coming July will be my 6th summer at TLW, where I will be a Teen 1 and I can proudly say that these past five summers at West have been the best of my life.  Waking up every morning with my camp sisters is the best feeling.  Growing up with them for many summers, I know that the days and moments ahead of me are ones that I won’t forget.  No one can truly imagine the feeling of comfort and home that Timber Lake West has given me summer after summer.

At West, you build friendships that are different from any that you can gain at home, and the people really do become your second family because of all you share together. I cannot picture my summers without being at TLW because it has become such a big part of me. From making new friends, creating great relationships with the counselors and staff, swimming in the lake, working in the Art Barn, banana-boating with all my friends, going from activity to activity laughing and singing as we walk, to participating in Color War, losing my voice from cheering and then finally watching the end-of-the-summer slideshow, singing alma maters and watching the amazing four weeks burnout. All of these experiences at TLW have been essential to who I am today. West has taught me how to make friends, how to keep them, and how to be confident in everything I do.

I am now counting down the days before I am back in the Catskills in Roscoe; where new memories are soon to be born. Timber Lake West is, and forever will be, my second home.