Meet an Alpengirl

Meet Alpengirl, Maia

Hi, my name is Maia Caemmerer, I am 14. This year was my first time at Alpengirl, and I loved everything about it. I came home with not only nine new friends, but nine new sisters.

I have lived in New Delhi, India since I was in second grade. I am from America, my parents are teachers and when I was 7 they got a job at the American Embassy School in New Delhi. It is amazing living overseas, and I have had lots of experiences, both good and bad, that most people will never have. I can get on the train, and 5 hours later, I am at the Taj Mahal! I live with my Mom, Dad and my little sister Chloe. I also have 2 cats, Tilly and Scarlet.

Every summer, my family and I come back to our summerhouse in small-town Washington State. We visit family and old friends, and we get into a slow yet exciting routine of waking up at noon and rafting, hanging out at my grandparents house, taking long walks, fishing or going to an old fire lookout up the hill from our house.

Because of where I live, it is hard for me to make big plans for the summer, like going to a camp. Alpengirl was open to working with my unique circumstances, and in turn, I was able to have an amazing experience that I wouldn't have had otherwise. I decided that this would be a good year to look for a summer camp (if I was ever going to go to one!) and I searched high and low on the Internet for a good summer camp. I saw Alpengirl before I had even thought about leaving Washington for a camp.

Since our school year starts in early August, I dismissed the Washington Alpengirl trip. I kept the name in the back of my head, and when my dad said, "Hey Maia, this looks like a cool camp! " I instantly remembered the hip logo, and the bright colors of the web page. I was thrilled when Alissa (the camp director) emailed my dad back, saying that they had a few more spaces left in the Montana Photojournalism Camp. I took a class in photography last year, and I loved it. I was debating between an adventure camp, and a photography camp, and Alpengirl was the perfect mix!

I am very active, I participate in a number of sports and I love rafting taking bike rides and long walks. I had never been camping before my 2005 Alpengirl trip (unless you count car-camping when I was 4!) so I didn't want to get in over my head. I picked the Montana photojournalism camp, and upon coming home, I could not be more thrilled.

I wasn't nervous about the 2 flights I had to take to get to Idaho Falls, or the girls I was going to spend the next two weeks with. I was nervous that I didn't bring enough socks, or that my hiking boots were too big. I was scared that I would be the only one who had never been camping in the backcountry before, that I would be the odd one out. I was pleasantly surprised to be one of 4 other Alpengirls on the flight from Boise to Idaho Falls, and to be greeted at the gate of the airport by Amber, Alissa, and Kimberly, our guides.

I loved everything that we did. From canoeing down the Henry's Fork, to horse riding in sleet and eating lunch next to a babbling stream. Sleeping in a sage field, waking up early and being the ‘Leader of the day', cooking dinner and taking a wrong turn on a hike were all part of the fun. In our group of nine girls, we had 2 amazing Alpenguides and one cool Alpen-Intern to guide us. We celebrated the fourth of July by watching fireworks explode over the Yellowstone River and we lit some of our own too. We Tarp-Wrestled and went rafting. And not once did I wish I were home. We wore our Alpengirl shirts with pride on our shopping day in West Yellowstone, where we recruited for new Alpengirls, and met one of last year's campers.

When I finally did go home, I couldn't stop raving about my awesome time in Yellowstone. I came home standing up straighter, eating healthier, and much, much less bored with life. I had a tan, my face was brighter, I was drinking a gallon (or more!) of water every day, and I was healthier in body and mind. The food was so great that I bought a cookbook so I could keep up my newly acquired healthy diet! I showed my final photography portfolio to anyone who would look at it. I immediately started planning how I was going to go on another Alpengirl trip.

My parents made a deal with me about all my future Alpengirl trips. I am allowed to attend any trip I want, as long as I can pay half of the tuition. So, in my eagerness to attend the Alaska trip next July, I have gotten a job teaching swimming lessons to kids every Saturday morning. I am babysitting a lot, and I only have 1400 more dollars to go before I have my half of the tuition saved up. I would adore becoming an Alpenguide some day, and being able to go on lots of Alpengirl trips trip every summer! I love emailing all my fellow Alpengirls and Alpenguides, and I wouldn't trade in my experience at Alpengirl for anything.

Just because I live in India, doesn't mean that I don't do some of the same things that you do. I am a member of the swim team (Last year we went to Colombo, Sri Lanka for our October swim meet, and this year we are going to Chennai, India!) I play Basketball, and I volunteer at an animal shelter on some weekends.

Since I am an Alpengirl, and us Alpengirls are notorious for our Superpowers, I will tell you mine. I have recently gained the power to be myself all the time, no matter what. I am the Superhero who has no alter ego. This power is something that Alpengirl helped me find, and I am eternally grateful for that. My fellow Alpengirls, and my Alpenguides (and our Alpen-Intern!) helped me learn to laugh at myself. Am I a Superhero?

Yes, I am Maia. I am an Alpengirl. That is Superhero enough for me!

Maia