Georgian Bay played a huge role in shaping who I am as a person. Since I was 9, I've spent large portions of my summers hanging out on the rocks, swimming in the bays and watching beautiful sunsets through the windswept pines. It was here that I first witnessed the Northern Lights and some of the most spectacular meteor showers and thunder storms, got up close with wildlife like the Massasauga Rattle Snake and learned that porcupines don't actually shoot their quills. It was here that I learned how to paddle a canoe and a kayak, sail, pack an outtrip, portage, read a map and use a compass. I learned how to tie a flying bowline (in case I should ever fall out of a plane...), make the best fried granola, identify poison ivy, and build a one match campfire.
I guess you could say I found myself on Georgian Bay. I discovered some of the things that make me the happiest, learned how to be a leader, formed incredible friendships and found my passion for the outdoors, confidence in myself and my drive to constantly seek out new adventures. While I owe a great deal of this to my experiences at Camp Queen Elizabeth (located on Beausoleil Island), the beauty and spirit of Georgian Bay is what lures me back time and time again. It's big open waters, cozy bays, warm rocks and 30,000 islands offer new adventures around each corner.