Growing up, one of the things I looked forward to every summer was going to church camp and seeing all of my friends again. Though I've been too old to be a camper for a few years now, I recently had the opportunity to visit the camp I grew up going to for an evening. It brought back a lot of memories. If you're like me and had the opportunity to go to camp when you were younger, there are undoubtedly many things you miss doing now that you are older.

Here are 8 things you loved about going to church camp as a kid!

1. The anticipation

The last few days before you left for camp always felt the longest but they served a purpose. You just couldn't wait to see all of your friends again and there was something invigorating about this level of anticipation. If you're a list-making person, you'd funnel this energy into packing and re-packing your suitcase until you were absolutely sure you had everything you could possibly need. If you're not a list maker, you'd wait until the last second to pack everything in a frenzy as you unleashed the excitement you just couldn't contain anymore.

2. The drive there

Whether you only had to drive a couple of hours or an entire day to get to camp, everyone had his or her own tradition for the trip there. You might have blasted your favorite CD in the car (because the radio cut out when you got so far away from town), stopped at your favorite ice cream place, or been infamously late for check-in because your family could never leave on time. In any case, the final leg of the journey was the most exhilarating. You'd take winding paths through patches and patches of trees until there was finally a break in the foliage and you saw the camp ground, which was surrounded by mountains.

3. The beautiful scenery

Since you're already thinking about the mountains, this is the perfect time to note how breathtakingly beautiful the scenery was. There were rolling hills and blue skies for miles, and the sunsets each evening were gorgeous. In the morning, everything was covered in a think, mystic fog, and at night, the sky was so clear that you could practically see every star above you.

4. Bunking with your best friend

I'm not really sure if the guys did this or not, but ladies, I'm sure you remember saving the bunk beside you or above you for your best friend. You hadn't seen her in a year so you wanted to be as close to her as possible for the week. You also enjoyed admiring everyone's cute blankets and stuffed animals. I'm pretty sure the boys didn't do those last two things.

5. Being with your friends for an entire week

Speaking of friends, you loved being with specifically your camp friends for an entire week. You had bonds with them that you hadn't had with anyone else. It felt so good to be with a group of people your age who shared your beliefs and values. You were able to confide in them and be vulnerable with them. When you found out that you had common interests and the same favorite sports teams, it was just a plus!

6. Teambuilding

Though some of the ice breaker activities you did the first night of camp were a little corny, the other teambuilding activities you did as the week progressed were actually quite intriguing. They required leadership, teamwork, and critical thinking. They challenged you to reevaluate your perception of the situation and stretched you beyond what you originally thought you were capable of doing . This was especially true of the adventure courses. Climbing 40 feet in the air to a platform and zip lining back down really stretched your faith.

7. Campfire

One of your favorite parts of camp was most likely sitting around the campfire each evening to share stories and sing songs. Worship around the campfire was particularly moving because it was sincere, raw, and intimate. Everyone was singing together but we were all focused on our individual relationship with God. And who knew there could be so many renditions of Amazing Grace?

8. Feeling closer to God

Many people I've talked with have said that they love going to church camp because they feel closer to God when they are there. Whether it's being out in nature, studying God's Word more closely, or being with other believers, there is something truly special about the place.

Even though many of us are too old to go to church camp now, we can be thankful for Facebook so we can reconnect with old friends and the opportunity to go back to be faculty later in life!