Started in 2014, One Fine Day has become our annual retreat and initiative to get the team out of the office and into the real world.

For One Fine Day 2016, we returned to Baker Camp, Lake Sebago of the Seven Lakes region for a day of bonding with boating, beers, and bonfires.

This year brought team connection and camaraderie to a whole ‘nother level. In addition to our local team, we invited our team members outside of NYC to participate, and help make this day one of epic proportions.

For a glimpse of the day’s events, see more of #OneFineDay2016 below.

On the morning of Friday, September 18th, we packed up the ultra on-brand Mercedes Benz luxury sprinter (courtesy of Rent-A-Sprinter) and headed up north to Baker Camp. The trip from Manhattan, through Jersey, and to Seven Lakes, wasn’t easy, but after a few wrong turns, (and no help from our GPS), we made it to Baker Camp. Once we arrived we let loose as the day had finally begun.

After checking into our rustic wooden cabin, we made our way down to the beautiful lakefront breaking into teams for The Charles’ Rowboat Race. We hopped into our rowboats and rowed to a beautiful isolated island nearby. After half an hour of what felt like a super strenuous morning workout, the team met for a chill session on the water. We took our sketchbooks, snacks and a glass bottle of Kraken Black Spiced Rum (it wouldn’t be a Charles celebration without Kraken!) and proceeded to live in the moment.

As we relaxed on the lake, we laughed and shared memories from The Charles’ past, our present, and our new hopes for the future.

“The mood was just right,” says Visual Designer, Garrett Traya, on his experience at #OneFineDay2016. Garrett’s comment couldn’t have been more on point. We were all there to enjoy each other’s company and relate to each other outside 601 Broadway, NYC. From 11am beers to informal “Would You Rather’s” between co-workers, an air of ease took over The Charles team for One Fine Day.

The late afternoon came quick, as we took up our oars and rowed back to dry land. We gathered around the lake front and began to conjure up a campfire that would challenge anyone’s childhood memories of “the best bonfire ever”.

As Developer Don Lee a.k.a. “General Lee” manned the grilling, we sat around and snacked under the warm beams of sun. The winding down signified the end of summer. To wrap up the afternoon we proceeded with our annual awards ceremony, where some team members received special prizes based on company votes. The team erupted with laughter as members gave their best Oscars “Thank-You” speech to the crowd.

Towards the end of the ceremony, the sun started to set. Sadly, it was time to go. We packed up and said our goodbyes to Baker Camp, and headed back to the sprinter to go home. As we rode back to NYC, the atmosphere of the sprinter was filled with happiness and fulfillment. One by one, each team member had taken a nap, while the rest of us joined in on car karaoke to 90’s jams. Definitely, a sure-sign of a successful outing.

This year’s One Fine Day was especially special because we had the whole team together, in one time-zone! With so many laughs and games, it’s hard to think of how we’ll top next year.

One thing’s certain, as long as we’re together, it’ll be a One Fine Day, for sure.

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View more photos from this year’s One Fine Day, our past years at OneFineDay.us