Chilly, cool air gushes through an open window and I am overcome with a wave of excitement that forces me out of bed.  I quietly slink out of my cabin being careful not to wake the other girls, and step into the bathroom to take a steamy, hot shower.  The warmth of the water makes my skin tingle with a fresh, clean feeling, but too soon, my time in the shower is up. 
   

When I come out of the shower, he rest of my cabin is awake and it is time for breakfast.  The walk to the dining hall is short, but the sun is bright and it quickly dries my hair.  
   

After a breakfast filled with delicious, fresh coffee cakes, cool milk, and catching up with my friends and counselors, I grab my violin from the instrument room and meet up with my friends.  We participate in chamber music and play music through many laughs and smiles.  The sound we produce when we play is absolutely beautiful -- just like the universe we live in. 
   

Soon, our camp bell is rung, signaling that it is time for lunch.  Today, on the menu is my favorite lunch meal, homemade grilled cheese sandwiches.  I scarf down as many as I can, and finish off with a juicy plum from the countertop. 
   

Following lunch hour, my friends and I head for the art shack, Da Vinci.  We are greeted  by the smells of fresh pine and paint as we sit down at a table to make friendship bracelets.  My friend Leah makes one and fastens it on my wrist for me.  I thank her for it, and we both smile.  Though I do not know it then, I will have ten friendship bracelets by the end of camp, all clinging onto my wrist.
   

The performance hall is bustling with campers as chorus hour approaches.  The entire camp is gathered in a semi-circle to sing, but we are doing so much more than just singing.  We are laughing, smiling, holding hands, and coming together, forming bonds that will never be broken. 
   

An hour of joyous singing has passed, and the bell is rung again, and this time, the entire camp races over to the dining hall for dinner.  Warm spaghetti and salad is waiting on the tables as we all hurry to get seated.  Following the meal, fresh, chewy brownies await us on the counters as we leave the dining hall. 
   

It’s 7:30 p.m, but at Kinhaven Music Camp, the day isn’t over yet!  As the sun sets, my friends and I get our instruments and head over once again to the performance hall.  This time, it’s for orchestra.  For an hour and thirty minutes, the entire camp plays symphony orchestra and string orchestra music, intensely preparing for our weekly concerts.  Along the way, we also crack jokes and laugh.  The music we are playing is challenging, and it has been a long day, but when I remind myself that we are all in this together, all the practicing is not that bad -- in fact, it’s fun!
   

After long and hard practicing, orchestra is over and it’s time to head back to our cabins.  It’s pitch dark now and we’ve all somehow forgotten our flashlights, but I am with my friends, so I am not scared.  Throughout the walk back, the cool, damp grass massages my bare feet with every step I take. 
   

Once I reach my cabin, I hurry to get ready for bed.  A Vermont night always gets colder and colder by the minute, so the quicker I am in bed and under the covers, the better. 
   

Soon, it’s 10 p.m, and everyone is in bed.  Our counselor, Amber, stops by our room.  She says “good night”, turns the lights off, and shuts our door.  I lay in my bunk (as always, I am top bunk) for a while before falling asleep.  There is something slightly eery about the still, silent night, and yet, I love everything about it.  I begin to think about how amazing the day has been, but then I realize that I am extremely tired.  I close my eyes, and before I know it, I am asleep, dreaming about how much fun I will have the next day…