Brightsiding
Posts
Camp Bogs Recap

Camp Bogs Recap

August 05, 2022

Happy freakin LEO SNZ BESTIES!!!

I hope this finds you with one hand wrapped around a sweaty iced coffee and the other queuing up some girly bops as you head into the first weekend of August. I’m off to Seattle to see my dear friend Kim - I can’t wait to soak up some Pacific Northwest magique, debrief Sally Rooney’s latest novel, and sit in her backyard.

Today I’m recapping the highlight of my summer so far, Camp Bogs!!!! It was this past Saturday in one of my favorite places on earth, Rockaway Beach. This year is all about trying new things with The Brightside, specifically in person events - and I’m stoked that I was able to pull it off! Thanks to all the girlies that came through.

Let’s get into it!

What’s Camp Bogs, you ask?

I hosted the first “Camp Bogs” at my mom’s house in Connecticut last summer. I was fresh off a breakup and needed something to pour my energy into, so I planned a fun little weekend for a few friends. The first night, we climbed onto the roof and popped prosecco under the stars, and I remember how good it felt to be surrounded by my people in the midst of such a chaotic time in my life. The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying the magic of where I grew up and showing my friends the places I was taking refuge that summer - the pilates studio where I put my body back together, the local farmers market which felt straight out of a Gilmore Girls episode, a hidden restaurant on the Connecticut River ... it was really special to share those places with them.

It lit me up to see my friends become friends and I instantly knew that I wanted to facilitate more of that connection in the future. The Pinterest project with Holly earlier this year only confirmed that itch, so Camp Bogs 2.0 was a non-negotiable this summer.

Let’s go to the beach, beach

As I was dreaming up the 2022 edition, I knew I wanted to expand it to a larger group... so instead of heading back to CT I opted for a beach day in the Rockaways. I’ve been going out to Beach 92nd street since my first summer living in Manhattan (in the Financial District – we lived 5 minutes from the ferry) and I've grown to love it for it's laid back energy and the escapism it offers from NYC.

Since my very first trip there in 2017 I’ve returned countless times with friends and solo, on sunny days, rainy days, and everything in-between. Over the years The Rockaways have become a place where I can exhale and connect with a more carefree and childlike version of myself, which made it a no-brainer destination for this year’s Camp Bogs.

Once I had the destination in mind, I got really specific about what I wanted the day to be about and how I wanted it to feel. I’m in the phase of life where I’m going to bachelorette parties, engagement parties, celebrations of all sorts of late-20s milestones, and I really wanted Camp Bogs to be a reminder that if we don’t have one of those milestones to check off, there’s still so much to celebrate. I wanted to create a day that felt light and carefree and fun -- and give my friends an opportunity to meet each other and connect.

Planning

I have to say, putting that that energy in the center of the planning process made all the difference. Bringing this weekend to life was a diverting outlet these past few months, especially in the midst of so much chaotic news. In fact, the state of the world fueled me even more -- and encouraged me to do what I could to create a day of joy.

I made goodie bags*, ordered a few beach umbrellas, and even fulfilled my unmet sorority girl fantasy by painting a cooler (harder than it sounds!). While I didn’t quite stick the landing on turning the creation of Camp Bogs 2022 into some viral TikTok content, everything came together really well and I was obsessed with the aesthetic.

How it all turned out

And of course, the day itself was a blast. It was carefree and full of giggles, volleyball, dips in the ocean, burgers from Rippers, and lazy sprawls on our towels. I am so grateful for the beautiful women in my life - and it blew me away to realize how many rich connections I’ve made since moving to New York. Introducing everyone, sharing friendship origin stories, seeing everyone connect was almost too much to bear. It was a picture perfect beach day and I was mentally pinching myself with gratitude for the ability to bring such an incredible group together.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, and to all my friends who continue to support me, love me, push me, and rally around my daydreams. Wouldn’t be here without you!

I’m dreaming up what a fall version of an in-person event could look like. Slide into my DMs if you have any ideas or want to collaborate.

*Thank you to Harley, Colleen, and Caroline for letting me wrangle you into goodie-bag assembly. And thank you to Hannah for creating custom Charmed Fringe friendship bracelets - they were such a special touch!