I’m lying in my cozy cabin and I can hardly contain myself in anticipation of the exhilarating day of camp ahead of me!
The following is a typical day at the West Coast Sikh Youth Alliance Summer Camp:

5:30am I receive a gentle reminder that it’s time to hit the showers. Gladly, I slide out of my bunk and gather my belongings and walk towards the showers and smell the crisp, morning Okanagan air.

6:00am I am all ready with my Darbar clothes (Salwaar Kameez) on, ready for the Parbat Pheri.

6:15am The Parbat Pheri starts with a Dholi and some campers playing the Chimtay and Shanay as we all proudly sing the Sikh anthem "Deh Shiva Bar Mohe Ehai" while circling the Darbar.
What an intense feeling of pride and unity. I look around and see young and old alike singing Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s hymns with happiness.

6:25am Everyone lines up to get their feet washed, by campers who have volunteered for this Seva, in preparation for entering the Darbar.

6:30am Volunteers from the Sangat lead the Nitnem as everyone else follows along in their Gutkay, which are available in Gurmukhi for those who can read Punjabi, and in Romanized English for those need the English version.

7:30am The morning Kirtan program commences, featuring the ever popular "Poota Mata Ki Asees" and "Santa Kay Karaj." There are Shabad sheets available in English and Punjabi to suit individual needs. Wow, what a beautiful message!

8:00am All campers participate in our Ardaas and we all have Parshaad culminating the morning Darbar program.

At this time we change out of our Darbar clothes and put on our sweats or jeans for our morning lectures, workshops and Gatka.

8:15am Breakfast is served! There is a mixture of Indian and Western food from Aloo Paranthas to cereal, toast and pancakes! Before we chow down we say our Langar Ardaas to thank Waheguru for breakfast.

9:00am Now it’s time for all of us to pull our weight and participate in campsite cleanup. Each group is responsible for a specific job around the campsite such as dishes, washrooms and Langar hall. Collaboratively, the campsite is cleaned for the upcoming day.

9:30am Let the lectures begin! All campers, based on their age, are divided into groups. Each group reports to a specific part of the campsite for their scheduled lecture. The staff volunteers provide an interactive forum for their topic, encouraging lots of discussion, comments and questions from participants.

10:15am Workshops are up next! The staff members are responsible for conducting workshops based on previously arranged topics. They use a variety of materials to enhance their presentations such as visuals: posters, pictures, videos, skits, and other tangible materials. The workshops are meant to be interactive and hands-on.

10:45am Gatka Time! All the way from London England, the Baba Fateh Singh Gatka Akhara is at our service. These experienced and highly skilled Gatka instructors expose us to Gatka, kick boxing and self defense. Not only are they martial arts professionals, but they are incredibly inspirational individuals who add laughter and spirit to our camp.

12:00pm Lunch time! After a strenuous workout with the Gatka instructors, lunch is served. Once again the mothers outdo themselves and prepare a variety of Western and Indian dishes which are delicious. As usual, lunch is preceded by the Langar Ardaas.

1:00pm The next few hours are dedicated to fun-filled recreation. The campsite is equipped with basketball courts, a volleyball net, a gym, a large soccer field and 2 docks used for swimming, tubing and boating.

4:00pm After recreation everyone takes a few minutes to take a much needed shower. Following the refreshing shower, we all gather for some yoga to relax and unwind from the action packed day. After some stretching and yoga moves we relax into the famous 'Deep Sleep'.

6:00pm All of this really works up an appetite. Dinner is served. Once again, it is preceded by Langar Ardaas.

7:00pm Once the clean-up is complete, it is time for the evening Darbar in which the we do Rehras Sahib, Kirtan featuring "Charan Chalo" and the infamous Song of the Khalsa.

9:30pm After the Ardaas, Sukhaasan for Guru Granth Sahib Ji is done, followed by another Ardaas completing the evening Darbar.

10:00pm To wrap up an amazing day, we have a campfire where everyone gathers around a giant bonfire. We drink hot chocolate, munch on popcorn, cookies and granola bars and enjoy some great entertainment such as songs, skits, jokes and ghost stories.

What an AMAZING day!