So you might have been wondering where I've been for the past....well four months now. It's been pretty quiet around here and that's mostly because I was off in the mountains, cut off from all social interaction like my phone, Snapchat, and even Instagram. All I had were eight computers from like, circa 2007 with the slowest internet around. Why was I in the mountains? No, I didn't join a cult for three months. I was a counselor at a camp I used to attend back in the day (you know, when I was 8 until I was 16). Camp in a way, is like a cult, but the kind where you fall in love with waking up every morning under Old Bald, singing semi-morbid songs about a girl going down the bathtub drain, and staining your skin green from Color Tag. But it's the best way to spend your summer and the people you're with make it even better.
Camp is one of those things that can't be explained, it needs to be experienced. It's a unique thing to be lucky enough to do and pretty soon, camp becomes your life. It became my life from day one of June session and I tackled each obstacle that came my way. I also fell in love with the campers in the process. It took me nearly half the session to remember everyone's name but once I got it (sort of), I didn't want them to leave. Shoutout to Landsports TTS3, you know who you are and that I love you so.
Because of my love of 3 week, I was more than happy to stay for an additional 5 weeks. I had to move some things around but before I knew it, I was welcoming my second wave of campers, this time with a co-counselor living with me. Claud, you know how much I love you and I'll always look back on our time together to laugh. Main session flew by and I got to experience a whole other session down by the lake. I was always a 3 weeker so Main was a whole new ballgame for me. But I enjoyed it so much.
Then August session, also known as 10 day, came and I felt like I was walking around with just one shoe and oddly okay with it because that's how tired I was by the end. I feel like if someone yelled my name, I would have reacted like a raccoon caught digging in a trashcan. But thankfully I still had my fellow counselors to keep me somewhat sane.
The bonding and friendships you make at camp can't compare to real life friendships. They're better. You spend 24/7 with these people who are all here for the same reason as you and it doesn't get better than that. I spent so much time bonding with these people and having fun at the same time. I laughed, cried, and did a combination of both at times. It hits me at times that I'll never be back with that same group of people and it makes me cherish our time together even more. From setting tables in the dining hall while singing along to 'She Bad' and 'History' to trying not to cry in Castle during Banquet, the staff made my summer.
Now that I'm back in the real world, camp still comes to mind and I'm hit with the realization that I don't recognize anyone after spending 12 weeks with the same people. We truly #TriedEverything. But would I gladly give up my phone, don my green staff polo and break into song? Absolutely.
*Photos are my own, my friend Adeline's, or from the Merrie Woode website
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