The Lone Adventurer's Guide to Camp Spooky

Picture it, dear reader. A suitcase stuffed with face paint and fluffy socks sits by the door. Your map points north to the misty realm of Scotland, and the only companions waiting at the other end are names in a group chat.

For plenty of the heroines who answered the call of Camp Spooky this autumn, that's exactly how the quest began. Many set off as lone adventurers, some crossing entire oceans to get here (the dedication!). So we gathered a few of them round the cauldron to spill the tea on what it was really like, wobbles and all. If your finger is hovering over the booking button for an MCC adventure right now, pull up a toadstool. This one's for you.

Photo: Megan Fischer

Chapter one, in which the butterflies take flight

Almost every heroine we spoke to confessed the same thing. She was excited and nervous, usually at the very same moment. Two potions bubbling in one cauldron, if you like, which is exactly how you should feel before any great quest.

Lavinia travelled from abroad for camp. "I was very nervous because I was going alone, in another country," she told us, "but I was very excited about meeting the other girls and the Armoury team."

Rebecca flew in from the US and had a refreshingly sensible take on it. "Traveling across the world with a bunch of strangers has to elicit a little bit of healthy nerves, right?"

Brenda describes herself as a born worrier. "I'm habitually a nervous overthinker, and I did worry about fitting in," she said. "But I was unbelievably excited about meeting everyone from the chats."

Those chats turned out to be the enchanted amulet every lone traveller needs. Long before anyone set foot in Scotland, the pre-camp group was buzzing with introductions and the odd panicked "how many costumes is too many?" question (there's no such thing, for the record). Megan, on her second solo trip to Scotland, felt the difference straight away. "I did feel a lot better leading up to it when the pre-camp group chat was blowing up, and I was connecting with people I hadn't even met yet!"

Fi agreed. "The anxiety wasn't daunting or scary, because there were so many ways to talk to people beforehand like The Armoury and WhatsApp groups."

The moral of this chapter? The adventure begins long before your broomstick touches down.

Chapter two, in which flying solo becomes a secret power

Here's the thing about arriving without your usual fellowship. There's no one to hide behind, and that turns out to be a rather magical gift.

"I came alone," Fi said. "I think this pushed me to be more open to talking to people and sitting in different places at meal times, which I might not have done if I came with friends."

Brenda felt the same. "I think it gave me the chance to throw myself in to things more as I didn't just cling on to one safe person and hold back."

Lavinia found that travelling solo nudged her to reach out before camp even began. Rather than rooming with a friend and calling it a day, she messaged other attendees in advance to sort out accommodation together. By the time she arrived, her adventuring party was already assembled.

Even the women who came with friends made a point of mixing things up. Kaitlin, a seasoned MCC adventurer, met up with friends from previous events but made sure not to cling to them like a cursed amulet. She also gave a little nod to some behind-the-scenes magic. "It really helps that MCC organizers make sure that your roommates are generally not in the same team as you so that you don't have that crutch to fall back on!"

And according to Megan, the regulars are every bit as keen to meet you as you are to meet them. "Even those who had previously attended other MCC events were all very open to connecting and meeting new people, which brought another sense of relief I hadn't realised at first I needed."

Photo: Megan Fischer

Chapter three, in which you choose your own adventure

At the start of camp, Gabby told everyone that Camp Spooky was theirs to shape. Stay up late in the shared spaces if you fancy it, or take yourself off for some quiet time. Rebecca was struck by how much everyone lived that out. The other women encouraged people to join in, she said, while being completely respectful of anyone who needed to take things slowly.

Brenda's tip for nervous first-timers is to treat the schedule like the menu at a good tavern. "There is so much available to get involved in, do it all, or pick and choose based on your own tastes/comfort level. Everyone is there for the exact same experience, so it’s super friendly and supportive."

Rebecca also has a secret spell for solo travellers. Go to the morning journaling sessions, even if you're not a journaling sort of person (she wasn't either). "One thing this did, especially as someone who came to Camp Spooky on my own and was feeling a bit intimidated, was help me set my intention for the day and the trip I wanted to have. It helped me shake off some of my nerves and allow myself to be open to what camp had to offer."

Chapter four, in which the group chat refuses to die (and we're thrilled)

Camp ends. The friendships, it turns out, are immortal (very on theme for a Halloween retreat).

Every woman we spoke to is still in touch with the people she met. "One thing is for sure," Megan said, "even when an MCC event ends, the group chats never go dark." Rebecca says the WhatsApp group is popping off at all hours, and she's kept up one-to-one friendships too.

The plans are already brewing. Fi is hoping to meet up with camp friends when she's back in Edinburgh in January, and Kaitlin tells us a group of the girls are busy arranging a Zoom catch-up.

Not bad for a quest that began with a room full of strangers.

Photo: Megan Fischer

Epilogue, words of wisdom for the nervous traveller

We asked every one of our Camp Spooky heroines what she'd say to someone thinking about booking but feeling the fear. The council has spoken, and the verdict was unanimous.

"DO IT," said Kaitlin. "The all caps are necessary here."

Lavinia called it "the most welcoming and wholesome experience I'd ever had."

Rebecca's advice is one we'd frame and hang on the wall. "Nervousness and excitement are sister feelings for a reason… So, if you're thinking about booking but feeling nervous, I'd say let yourself be nervous and book anyway. You don't have to arrive knowing anyone or having it all figured out."

And Megan, who almost talked herself out of going, has no regrets at all. "Go in with an open heart and you might just end up with 40 new best friends who will stick with you until the very end. Change is scary but so is staying the same."

Your coven is out there, Queen. Some of them are probably packing their face paint already.

Want to meet them before the next adventure begins? Join the Armoury waitlist and be first through the gates.