by La Vida | Nov 30, 2020 | Adirondack Expeditions, College Expeditions, Commitment Move, Staff Stories
This blogpost is adapted from an essay by Liza Watkins (Moody), Gordon College and La Vida staff alumni. Her essay was originally written in 2009 on why La Vida should continue to be a core requirement at Gordon. My arms and legs are shaking with fatigue. I’m on the...
by La Vida | Oct 21, 2020 | Adirondack Expeditions, Spiritual Formation, Tutorials
Some of the most pivotal moments of a La Vida trip are the moments that most people wouldn’t think twice about. From first-time participants to seasoned staff members, there are a plethora of learning experiences on trail. Oftentimes we forget about the small gears...
by La Vida | Oct 14, 2020 | Adirondack Expeditions, Commitment Move, Compass
The new Compass cohort stood swallowed in the middle of a towering high-ropes course. Ty Spencer ‘24 was among the group with wide eyes and thoughts racing: “There’s absolutely no way I’m getting on one of these.” But up he went, and as he kept going, he “got more and...
by La Vida | Oct 13, 2020 | Adirondack Expeditions, College Expeditions, Commitment Move, Staff Stories
“I believe in you Porter. You belong here. You are going to make an impact.” Nate Hausman smiled a reassuring smile at the trembling pale face in front of him. I was a nervous wreck my first summer up at base camp. I felt like an inadequate phony, somebody who truly...
by djmccarthy0408 | Feb 11, 2020 | Adirondack Expeditions, Adventure Camp
One of the things we hear often from our staff is how lessons learned from La Vida can transfer to many other experiences and can apply to many different age groups. Staff may work for us one summer and then have various jobs and cross-cultural experiences before they...
by Amber.Hausman | Nov 8, 2019 | Adirondack Expeditions, Base Camp, College Expeditions, Staff Stories
By Amber Hausman La Vida and Gary Valentine go way back. Nate first met Gary in the early 2000’s through a McMaster Road connection. Gary’s wife, Ruth, grew up less than a half a mile from the La Vida Base Camp property and her parents Lloyd and Lulu...
