Every summer since I was eight years old, summer camp has been a huge part of my life. I don’t know what it was that kept me coming every summer. Maybe it was the everyday activities, the age-old traditions, the songs we sing every day or the Chaco tan each year. But really, it was the incredible people with whom I spend summer after summer. These girls have shaped me into the person I am today. Therefore, it is safe to say that camp friends are the best friends.

1. They have seen me at my best

I truly am my happiest at camp. I feel so at home while wearing a t-shirt and shorts, being covered in dirt and having my hair in a messy ponytail. While I may not look the greatest, I feel my best. And my camp friends get to see me like this all summer long.

2. They have seen me at my worst

Whether it was during a bad rainstorm, I hadn’t showered in days or during my annual end-of-camp cry as I leave, my camp friends have been there in the ugliest moments. Yet, they still love me all the same.

3. They appreciate me for me

At camp, there’s no way to try to act like someone you’re not. And this is all the more reason to love one another. We get to know each other without the distractions of the “real world,” allowing us to create deep, meaningful relationships.

4. They prepared me for going off to college

Going to college away from the comforts of home was a breeze after spending summers away from my home at camp. I haven’t been homesick since I was eight, which made college nothing to worry about.

5. They’re always down to chat

Whether it’s a late night on tent row and you need someone to talk to or it’s during the year when all of your “home friends” are bothering you, I know I have a whole list of camp friends I can call in a heartbeat. And honestly, I seem to talk to my camp friends during the year more than I talk to my friends from high school.

6. We have like minded goals

Of course, after spending years together, we would start to be more alike. Those who prioritize values are the people I want to spend my time with.

7. Every year it gets harder and harder to say goodbye

Each summer the friendships seem to get even deeper, which makes the end of summer even tougher to say goodbye and go our separate ways in August. Cheerio but be back soon!

8. The list of inside jokes goes on and on

I’m pretty sure all of my friends at home get annoyed when I start a story with “One time at camp…”

9. You’ve made so many connections through camp friends

It’s all too often that when meeting new people the conversation goes something like this: “Oh, you’re from Roanoke? Do you know my friend *insert name*?” And you’d be scared how often you can make a mutual connection.

10. Distance makes the heart grow fonder

I have camp friends all over the country (and the world!). And yes, we can text, Snapchat, Facetime, but there’s nothing like those two months we get to spend together each summer.

To quote one of my favorite camp songs:

I have a sister who laughs when I’m happy and I have a sister who cries when I’m blue. I know that she’ll be there whenever I need her; I know that our friendship is true.

Thank you to Camp for introducing me to the best people I know. Camp friends truly are the best friends.