A letter from Angela

Editor’s Note: Our beloved founder, Angela Ritchie, passed away in April 2024 following a brave and determined journey with cancer. Angela was an inspirational force who taught all of us so much and her wish was for Ace Camps to grow and thrive for years to come. Please find below a letter from Angela sharing her thoughts on Ace Camps in 2020.

Hi - I’m Angela Ritchie, the Founder, and Director of Ace Camps Travel Company.

 
As many of you know, Ace Camps Travel is much more than a business for me. From the first time I helped to organize workshops in Whistler, Canada I learned that when people come together as solo travelers or with friends, a special bond is created. As time passed, our trips and workshops grew and our itineraries expanded to include offerings all over the world.  Ace Camps gave everyone a chance to spend time with someone they admired, to learn from other guests,  to be introduced to the people and cultures of other countries and to learn a skill. Connecting people - This is my passion.

 
Someone once said to me, “It’s not all about the art, Angela” meaning these experiences were not just to increase one’s knowledge in creative learning but learning in many ways. Our experiences taught us a way to learn about others both attending the trip and those who we encountered and collaborated with along the way.

 
We have developed a community that is woven together, a community where friendships and supportive relationships have developed. This is what happens when you are experiencing completely new environments together. The tiniest occurrences that happen when traveling can reveal the most valuable memories and emotional connections.

 
When what we come to know as the most important parts of our lives change in a flash, we are reminded that poetry can help us to cope with new realities and think about the unknowns ahead. Words can be calming, humous, inspirational and can bring us together in ways that show us we are similar and share the same emotions. The opening line of the poem, “If You Get There Before I Do”, by Dick Allen is “Air out the linens, unlatch the shutters on the eastern side, and maybe find that deck of Bicycle cards lost near the sofa” brings a sense of calm, allowing one to notice the light, slow down, hear and see and touch the real world and leaves us with future possibilities of gathering together. 

 
Poetry and travel are simply two different modes of exploring the world, of learning who we are, what we believe and how it all fits together. With words, we can share our vulnerabilities, scars and our strengths. Some of you are baking bread, some of us are planting seeds - maybe it's a growth thing, the yeast, the seeds in my little pots that I check on each morning. The reality is that, while most of the world might be on pause right now, our lives are still happening.

 
Here at Ace Camps, we are working behind the scenes to continue organizing, developing + creating the greatest learning adventures all over this amazing world. We are really looking forward to seeing our past guests again and to meeting those of you that will be joining us for the first time.

Take care + keep in touch,
Angela