Not sleeping in Orchard Cabin made me nervous. Instead, because of a broken ankle, I would be temporarily staying in one of the rooms in the medical center, with a buddy. I already missed the fairy lights and the hushed conversations that lasted way too far into the night. The way the individual lamps click off one by one as the cabin itself falls silent. I wanted to wake up and roll over and see that my “cabin sisters” were still sleeping, and then all rush to get dressed so we wouldn’t be late for morning gather. I didn’t want the wooden walls and the seven beating hearts to forget me. 

When it came time for me to ask someone to leave the comfort of their bed and stay with me for the night, it turned out I didn’t even have to; one of my friends was already set up to be with me that first night, and I had people offering and asking me if they could stay one of the nights following! I was overwhelmed with affection for these people; it seemed as though they had peered inside my head and knew exactly what to do to make it better. I had only met them a few weeks ago, and already, I was astounded with how close all were.

Cue the dance parties to old records I had brought up, and a sleepover rotation in the medical center without me ever worrying. When I wasn’t able to go all the way to Orchard, my cabin sisters brought Orchard to me.

Leah Anderson, Friends Central School, Gladwyne, PA