(Inspired by Taylor Swift’s “Life of a Showgirl”)

There’s something about a Runoia summer that gets into your bones — a rhythm, a sparkle, a heartbeat that hums long after you’ve unpacked your trunk.

Being a Runoia camper isn’t just about the activities (though sailing at sunset and that perfect archery bullseye never get old). It’s about living a little piece of magic — the kind that feels like a Taylor Swift bridge: big feelings, golden friendships, and memories that shimmer like lake water in the sun.

Act I: The Arrival

The trunk is heavy, the butterflies are flutte

ring, and the smell of pine and possibility fills the air. You step off the bus to cheers, hugs, and a chorus of “you’re finally here!” It’s opening day — where friendships form faster than friendship bracelets and your voice finds its rhythm in camp songs.

At Runoia, every camper belongs — whether she’s shy or spirited, athletic or artsy, bold or quietly brave. The magic is that there’s room for every kind of girl.

Act II: The Transformation

Somewhere between tag-up and taps, you change. You learn to paddle solo, you laugh until your sides ache, you braid your hair without a mirror, you sing loud even when off-key.

You cheer for others as loudly as you cheer for yourself. You hold the door, you lend a hand, you sit with someone who’s missing home. You learn that kindness is powerful, and that helping out isn’t just expected — it’s instinct.

Confidence isn’t something you find — it’s something you build, one campfire at a time.

Act III: The Magic

The nights sparkle with stars and silly skits. You learn that a campfire circle can feel like the center of the universe, that saying goodbye hurts in the best kind of way, and that home can exist in more than one place.

You fall in love with Runoia traditions — the Bees and Ellies spirit, campfire songs passed down for generations, candlelighting on the last night when the lake glows with goodbyes and hope. Because Runoia isn’t just a camp — it’s a feeling. It’s the life of a Runoia camper.

So when Taylor sings, “She’s still that girl,” we nod along — because every Runoia camper carries that girl with her, long after the last goodnight. The one who believed in magic, sang in the rain, and found her truest self on the shores of Great Pond.

Does This Sound Like Your Daughter?

If you read this and thought, that’s her, then we think you’ll love our next post:
10 Ways to Know You’re Raising a Runoia Girl

It’s a fun, heartfelt checklist to help you see all the ways your daughter already has that Runoia spirit — and why she’ll feel right at home on Great Pond.