When I was 10 years old, I continuously argued with my parents about their spontaneous decision to send me away to sleepaway camp that summer for a month; although, I’m relieved that I didn’t get my way. If I had never gone to camp, I never would’ve learned how to change bed sheets or clean a shower, which are important life skills. Additionally, I learned many other things that I probably never would’ve if I had won the argument with my parents about staying home, and I compiled these things into a list.
1. Shower shoes are your best friend.
The importance of shower shoes is completely ignored by people who just have never experienced a real camp shower. Every cent that I've ever spent on a crappy pair of flip-flops to wear in the shower has been totally worth it.
2. Don't knock camp food until you try it.
Nothing beats the sweet smell of burnt grilled cheese! If you're ever stuck wondering what's on the menu for the average dinner at camp, just assume it's either pizza or pasta; you're probably right! If camp meals scare you because you participate in a year round carb-free diet, get over it. I can assure you that upon arriving home and devouring the first "not camp" meal eaten all summer, the post camp food depression kicks in.
3. Nothing else matters in this world more than color war.
Being woken up to the sound of pots and pans, whistles and air horns is definitely something that's only acceptable at camp. Wearing a tutu and dousing yourself in face paint may be considered absolutely mortifying, but to the average camper, it's just part of his or her nature. During these few days, the most insane and outgoing version of yourself is unleashed-- it's almost terrifying. You may come home with no voice to spare unless it's to sing your team's finale song, but that makes for good memories, right?
4. Instinctively getting your funny and/or awkward poses ready when you hear the camera shutter from across camp
After many summers of mom desperately asking you to "smile big" and "give a thumbs up" for the camera so she can sit at the computer all day waiting for the pictures to be posted on Facebook and near breaking the refresh button, you can only imagine being an older camper and getting sick of it already. Honestly, what is there to lose? I remember my friends and I getting our awkward poses ready as soon as we saw the photographer walking towards us, but it would still be another 10 minutes before she even came close to being in our vicinity. But hey, the pictures made for great Instagram posts for when we got home weeks later.
5. Camp wrists are ~everything~.
If you don't arrive home without wearing a stack of friendship bracelets up to your elbow on both arms, did you even go to camp? These bracelets can be made at home, of course, but nothing screams camp more than rocking dozens of these at a time, and even developing a distinct tan-line on your wrist as a result (guilty...).
6. Walking up hills everyday can really help you out.
Having a cabin at the peak of a giant hill, without a doubt, has its pros and cons, as one would expect. However, no squat or butt workout at the gym can even compare to walking up that hill everyday for the whole summer, especially when you know that beating your friends there means you get to shower first.
7. Remembering every bunk song/color war song you've ever had, no matter how many years have passed.
You may not be guaranteed to remember a chemistry formula forever, but camp songs are a completely different story. I can say I remember every bunk song I've ever performed over my six years at camp, along with every color war song I've learned, as well as the opposite team's songs. This may sound like a stretch, but it's completely true, as weird and creepily obsessed as it may seem. These past couple summers, I've had the opportunity to actually write my color war teams' finale songs myself. Hearing the campers still sing those songs, after years have gone by, is the most rewarding and heart-warming feeling.
8. Having two groups of friends
“Sorry, I’ll be with my camp friends this weekend,” is something I catch myself saying a little too often, but I’m completely okay with it! Knowing your camp friends will love you regardless of anything is a very comforting feeling, and they will always be there for you no matter how many months it’s been since last seeing each other. You can assume that after spending a whole summer together, camp friends may be sick of one another by the time they get home, but I can promise it’s just the opposite.
9. Saturday night activities can turn you into a version of yourself you didn’t even know existed.
Whether you’re lip-syncing to a Disney mashup or totally exposing your cabin during bunk commercial night, getting up on the auditorium stage with your cabin is one of my fondest memories of being a camper. Like bunk songs and color war songs, these performances are ones that you will remember and take home with you, and possibly make fun of in the near future.
10. Why I come back every summer
This may be the burning question I get from everybody: “Why in the world do you keep going back to camp as opposed to traveling the world or, you know, growing up?” Well, my friends, this is a question that doesn’t really have a concrete answer; I just have grown to love camp more than anything else. This may seem really lame, but I choose to return every summer simply because camp is my second home, and the relationships I have made and maintained with certain people at camp have been more meaningful and better than any other. Approaching my second summer as a counselor (and second year not being a camper), I can still say the same.
11. Family isn’t just bonded by blood.
This is a very important motive that can be learned by a variety of life experiences, but going to camp definitely helped me realize faster and at an early age. I confide in my camp family more than anyone else, whether it be my friends, past counselors, and my camp’s directors. Those who relate to you the most are those who experience or deal with the same things as you, and these people just know what camp really does to a person. Spending six and counting summers with these people, you can only imagine the kind of relationships we have developed over this time, and it’s a beautiful thing.
For everything that it has provided for me, I would like to thank camp and everything it encompasses for molding me into the person I am today. If I have learned anything from being a “camp person”, it’s that you may leave camp, but camp will never leave you.
