As I wait at Gate C6 for my next adventure to begin, I can’t help but look back at the adventure that has just drawn to a close. A year ago, I began working at Bunten Road Park in Duluth, GA. It is a small county park about seven minutes from my house. Every summer the park runs a summer day camp for children ages four to 12. During the summer of 2015, I had the pleasure of being a counselor for the youngest age group of four- and five-year-olds. That summer I was introduced to so many incredible children and even more incredible co-workers. Work wasn’t work. It was a spot to go and hang out with friends, teach kids lessons and well, if I could get paid for that, that would be pretty cool too. Each day provided a new challenge from the kids and a new joke from my fellow counselors. I really enjoyed going to camp every day. However, when it was time for it all to end and for school to start again, I said my goodbyes and moved on my way.

Flash forward a year. Summer 2016. My many efforts to find an internship in the field of Mass Media/Communications panned out about as well as the Fantastic Four reboot from 20th Century Fox (It has like a 9 percent on Rotten Tomatoes). So, I found myself in need of another summer job. I really didn’t want to return to camp. It had nothing to do with the people, responsibilities or even the kids. I just felt that it was time for me to move forward from that part of my life. As fate would have it, the day I began the application process to be a sales associate at a local J.Crew store, I got a text from my old boss at Bunten Road. He asked me if I was interested in returning to camp in a new role. It was a promotion with new responsibilities and new challenges. I said yes to at the very least keep my options open.

Following a talk with my mother which included her basically explaining that this would be my last summer to be a kid, I decided to return to Bunten Road. After all, I did enjoy my time last year. I gathered my old uniform (basketball shorts and t-shirts) and made my way to the park.

My new role would be Co-Director of the Counselor Teen Camp. The CT Camp is a counselor training program for teens ages 13 to 15. That was one hell of a jump. Last year I worked with kids that still pooped their pants and this year I’m working with kids that know where babies come from (admittedly, that’s a terrible contrast example, but that’s what you get when the lady next to you won’t stop talking about sex. Oh Hartfield-Jackson, you classy airport, you). Luckily though, I didn’t have to go at it alone. About a week before camp started my boss introduced me to a girl named Jennifer. She seemed like a quiet, reserved young lady that was a lot more prepared for the job we were both undertaking. I was completely wrong. I’m not sure if she ever stopped talking. And reserved? Yeah, that’s a joke, but it turns out we were exactly the right pair. To quote Forrest Gump, “Jenny and me. We were like peas and carrots.” We added to each other’s strengths and complemented our weaknesses. By the end of the summer, she was the Kate Winslet to my Leo DiCaprio (the real life people, not like Titanic. She’s like a sister to me.). We worked our way through the summer laughing and joking the whole way. Jenn wasn’t my only friend at camp, though.

Most of the friends I had made the year before were also asked to come back. I was real happy to be able to catch up and work with such awesome people. Margaret, Davi, Joy and Courtney were the headmasters of the whole affair. A group of some of the smartest and ingenuitive young ladies around. A pair of ladies from my 4-5 year old group, LeAnne and Anne, were back and it was good to see our friendships hadn’t skipped a beat. A few of the guys that had been a part of other age groups were back. The Bryant brothers returned to their mischievous pranking ways and added a family friend, Ethan, into the mix. Good ol’ Granny was back with her mature attitude and fantastic music selection (for clarification, Granny is younger than I am. She just acts like a grandma but we all love her for it). Mac and Cheese, Meaghan and Ashley made up the Big Three in the eight year olds. General Ben was still walking soft and carrying an armored tank division and with the additions of Brynn, Ritik and Alaina. Camp 2016 was ready to take on anything the little kids could throw at us.

I went into camp expecting pretty much the same experience I had the year before. I would enjoy my time with some nice people and then I would embark on my way when the 10 weeks were up. What I got was something so much more.

For 10 weeks, I got to spend between 8-10 hours a day with some of the best people you could ever meet. These young men and women dedicated their time and efforts to creating a camp where everyone had a smile on their face and a laugh not far behind. Whether it was 3 p.m. soccer or Fun Friday, shenanigans every day at camp was something to smile about. Our friendships weren’t just at work, though. Outside of the park we bonded over food, games and house parties that went almost until our morning shifts the next day. Work wasn’t work again. It was home, and it was the only place to be.

Camp ended last Friday. It was just about that time to go our separate ways, but it wasn’t like last year. As I said goodbye to my friends, I started to feel a pit building in my stomach. With each hug and handshake the pit grew bigger and bigger. When I made my final goodbye, I got in my car and began to drive away. Before I could reach the exit of the park, that pit hit its peak. I found myself with tears welling up in each I as I made my way to entrance of the park. I hadn’t been gone 30 seconds and I already wanted to go back to work.

I wanted to rewind my summer and start it over. This couldn’t really be it. But it was. No matter how much I wished for a redo, my summer had flown by and now it was time to go. I spent the next few hours reliving as many memories as I could even some from my time in 2015. I realized how much I was going to miss camp.

I’m graduating from school in May and my adult life will be starting very quickly after that. This was my final summer to be a kid at summer camp. Growing up, I never went to camp. My mom and dad always allowed my sister and I to stay home so I never had the experience. I never got the big deal of going to camp. Now, 15 years later, I finally get it.

Camp is a place to have fun. It’s a place to grow and mature. It’s a safe harbor to try new things without the trouble of homework or lesson plans. It’s place of friendship and laughter. And it’s the best summer job anyone can have.