Growing up on Coral Gables real estate, Andy Johnson always appreciated the sun. He would spend hours at a time at the beach, if not a local swimming pool. Andy was always a huge fan of the Miami Dolphins too, even if Dan Marino could never win a Super Bowl. Despite how much the man loved being a kid in South Florida, nothing beats his summer excursions to North Carolina for summer camp.
Throughout the school year, Andy could not wait until June. After all, that’s when he got to leave his homes for sale in Coral Gables and fly up to Asheville and spend six weeks in a cabin with approximately ten other boys his age. As a group, they could spend hours every day having fun at new activities, including rock climbing and pottery, as well as sports, like archery, basketball, and tennis. In the evening, the entire camp always did something fun that allowed the boys and girls to mingle, such as square dancing and trivia battles.
Perhaps Andy’s favorite part of the summer was the overnights. Once a week, the entire cabin would be dropped off somewhere along the Blue Ridge Parkway. They would then hike through the woods until they found a good spot to spend the night. Andy and his friends would put up the tents and build a campfire to cook dinner and breakfast. Too bad it never tasted good. That’s why Andy always filled up his backpack with potato chips and other snacks. Usually, there were at least one or two kids who would bring acoustic guitars and supply music.
Another highlight of summer camp for Andy was sneaking into the closed off girls’ section of camp once he reached age 15. In the middle of the night, he would climb in an open window and crawl into bed with a girl, just as they had planned. The couple would give each other backrubs and massages. The first-time Andy ever kissed a girl was one of these occasions. Too bad the girl’s counselor woke up one night and caught the young man in bed with one of her teenage campers. Andy got in so much trouble that he had to spend the next day in the camp director’s office, missing a whole day of fun activities.
During the last week of every summer at camp, Color War would break out. For three days and nights, the White Knights battle the Red Devils. Competitions include everything from volleyball and racing to lip sync contests and rope burning. Often times, kids get so involved in Color war that they are sad when it ends, even if their team is victorious. Regardless, it is good competitive fun that teaches kids like Andy the value of teamwork.
Regardless of how much Andy loves returning to his Coral Gables luxury home, nothing can take away from his six weeks every summer at summer camp in North Carolina. After all, where else can he go rock climbing, experience Color War, and sneak into his lady friend’s bed in the middle of the night?
About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty:
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty serves 19 counties throughout Florida with over 40 locations and approximately 1,800 Sales Professionals. The full-service brokerage company, founded in 1999, is a subsidiary of Lennar Corporation, a Fortune 500 company and is a franchise member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ network, one of the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name. The company offers residential and commercial services as well as seasonal rentals, property management, REO & Foreclosures, corporate relocations, referral services, title, home service plans, and personal concierge services. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty ranks in the Top 10 in the network among 42,000 Sales Professionals, 1,200 offices throughout 47 states. The company is the overall No. 1 fundraiser for The Sunshine Kids Foundation, having generated more than $3.37 million since 2001. Visit www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com.
