Yahve Alciney clears out water that had pooled in one off the tarps we used for shelter.

We had to suspend our scheduled Camping to Connect experience due to a tropical storm forecasted for the weekend at the Delaware Water Gap. I kept receiving texts messages from participants concerned about it, and honestly, it was not pretty. The risk of injury kept coming to mind. Suspending it as a last minute resort was the right call though. A rain date is now in the works, and details will go out soon to our members.

But, why am I showing you a picture of a camping trip from the same weekend?

Mike McConnell was down to come camping in the rain.

The short answer is that once canceled, and knowing that the reservations for our campsite, food and car rental would be lost, Michael Mcconnell and I decided to go for it anyway. Just the two of us.

We've been there before, Mike and I (both literally and metaphorically), and knew that we could survive it. The best thing about it is that there is no mobile phone reception there, and all we were going to have was each other.

The author explains he is “not afraid of a little rain” when he needs to Escape from New York

Honestly, I was going to go by myself, if Mike decided not to go. Even if I could not connect with my MC brothers, I needed to connect with nature. Being outdoors brings me closer to myself. COVID-19 has made it a challenge since early March, when we were asked in New york State to shelter in place. We did a fairly good job at it here in New York City (zero covid related deaths were reported for the first time on Saturday, June 11, 2020), but with the way things are going in other US states right now, we don't know if we might have to go back to it soon, as no vaccine has been made available yet. This was my best chance, and I wasn't going to waste my shot.

Cortni Grange was down for it too, and came up all the way from Virginia to meet with his Mastermind Connect brothers

That was until Brandon Slaughter, Cortni Grange, Frank Mena Yahve Alcinay, Talib Jasir, and David Lopez told me they did not care about getting wet, and wanted to join us anyway. This was meant to be, as we were small enough a group to pitch our tents under the only pavilion in the campgrounds.

Each Mastermind Connect member plays an integral role in this brotherhood. Sometimes is about dealing with a passing rain, while other times is about braving a really bad storm. Everyone who joined me this weekend played an integral role in the experience we had, AND, we all agreed that Yahve Alcinay was The Real MVP (he became Grillmeister and kept us all well fed).

David Lopez approves our work with the youth, and is down for the cause

It was all a manageable chaos, setting up camp while dealing with the rain on Friday afternoon/evening, until it wasn't. It was great practice for all involved, as we seek to take out young men from the Young Masterminds Initiative camping and hiking again this Summer/Fall, and beyond. A great opportunity to mentor them about leadership, brotherhood while addressing the issue of nature deficiency in urban youth. Some of the guys who attended already asked me how soon they can get certified for it this Summer.

From left: Cortni Grange, Mike McConnell, David Lopez and Yahve Alcinay

On Saturday morning, we revisited some of the conversations we had the night before. We were unpacking it all, at 7:30 am. There was no better time to do this. It showed me the growth these men have gone through, and the skills that have been developed over time to show vulnerability and courage, sharing, seeking to heal, and to support one another.

This includes developing the accountability muscle, which I myself was forced to flex a few times this weekend, when Brandon, Talib and Yahve called me out on different occasions about things that I need to work on. Two days later, and I am still sore, but it's the kind of good soreness that comes after a great workout.

I felt supported in something that I am passionate about. I am grateful for it. I can only hope that I somehow was able to contribute and bring value to my brothers through this shared experience.

Mike is grateful for a moment of sun and the lake

By Noon, the clouds would break from time to time, giving us the opportunity to visit the nearby lake. Mike said this was what he needed to get his energy back, and connect with his soul. Some of us joined him in taking a dip in the water.

While in the water, it seems like I had stepped on a baby turtle (or so I was told), which nibble at my ankle and made me jump out off the water. It was all fun and games until a baby turtle says “not today, bruh!”

David was happy with soaking up some sun and taking in the beauty of it all.

We attempted to hike the Appalachian Trail to a ridgeline on Delaware Water Gap, but high end hiking boots were not going to prevent a novice hiker from slipping on wet jagged limestone, and clouds kept saying "We dare you."We had done enough of that by then, and chose truth instead; we.were.not.ready.for.it. We're going to wait for it, wait for it...

Brandon Slaughter got Talib and Cortni to join him in canoeing

Brandon, Cortni and Talib decided to do some canoeing, and it was a site to see. Brandon grew up in Minnesota, and was very familiar with the outdoors, and canoeing was something he loved to do as a young men living in a world where this was a natural occurrence.

Brandon Slaughter, feeling like a kid again

Cortni and Talib grew up in the DMV area, and it was obvious they had not. Nevertheless, they learned how to work together and made it happen. Fun all around at the lake.

Brandon was running circles around Mike and Yahve

Our bet to stay put paid off immediately after, when we receive a torrential rain that seem to come sideways at us. We had to take quick action to make sure the area where we had pitched our tents did not flood in places the tents were now blocking the water from moving. In lieu of a shovel, Brandon Slaughter started to build canals on the gravel with his boots, and the rest of us followed that strategy. #mastermind.

The aftermath of our shelter after heavy rain storm

By the time that storm subsided, two large trees had fallen around us, around 100 feet away. One of them fell over the pathway to the very bottom of the hill we had decided to camp on. The other one fell on the other side of our campsite, where just moments before, Mike McConnell had gone to meditate under.

Talib Jasir and Mike McConnell in a moment of music and vibes

Once the storm passed, we cleared the area around the campsite and prepared dinner.

From left: Cortni, Yahve and David enjoy music by Jungle

With shelter secured, we were able to dry ourselves up, we feasted on great food, and enjoyed some amazing vibes from Kaytranada and Thievery Corporation, going deep into some Real Talk 💯, and into the night.

We built a campfire, thanks to the efforts of Yahve and David Lopez. It took a lot of patience on their part, and it showed the absolute meaning of trusting the process. The warmth of the fire and the sound of the embers crackling felt like a reward for all of the work we had done since we arrived the day before.

We had our moment of zen; We looked up and the clouds were gone, making room for the stars to light up. the sky. The time was right for some more vibes to play and light conversation. Midnight had arrived, and we still didn't want to let go of that fire.

And just like that, by the time we welcomed the sunrise on Sunday morning, it was time for coffee and packing up. The last thing we saw on Friday morning about the weather forecast for the day was that it was going to rain again by Noontime. It was time to Escape to New York. By the time I made it back to Brooklyn, Summertime in the City was in full swing.

The video above shows a raw, beautiful, peaceful moment in time that I really wanted to share with you. It was pure vibes, as we listened to tracks from the Back to Mine: Jungle (DJ Mix) album (. Nothing added but the captions (and no, Cortni was not sleeping. That man was letting the tunes carry his spirit). Hope you can feel the vibes that we felt, and get inspired to go camping to connect soon, even if in the rain.

⛺️⛈📻🎼#therewillbemoreofthis #thegratefuleight #mastermindconnect #campingtoconnect #campingintherain #thankgodforshelter

Be Outdoors (Camping in the Rain...)