Going to sleepaway camp is one of the best experiences you can have as a kid. You learn how to be independent and make memories you'll never forget. As a kid who went to sleepaway camp, there are some things you just get.

1. Idolizing your counselors.

There was nothing more exciting than finding out who your bunk counselors were for the summer. As an awkward middle schooler, no one was cooler than the college student who seemed like she had her life together.

2. Waiting in line for the shower and then shaving your legs outside.

One thing you definitely don't miss is having to wait in line to shower before dinner. Everyone stood in a line wearing their towels and carrying their shower caddies. You never took too long in the shower because you didn't want to make everyone else hate you. That also meant shaving your legs outside with shaving cream and a bucket of water (not that you really needed to shave your legs anyway).

3. Official nap time.

Quiet rest time after lunch was the best. You could nap or read. If only dedicated nap time existed anywhere else.

4. Writing letters home.

You never wrote so many letters in your life. While you were most likely required to write to your parents a few times a week, you kind of enjoyed it. It helped that you had your own special camp stationery.

5. The care packages.

Mail time was definitely one of the most exciting parts of sleep away camp. You never knew what would be in your cabin's mail cart that day. At least once or twice during the session, your parents would come in clutch with a care package that consisted of everything your tween heart desired. You could never have enough lip smackers or nail polish.

6. Your summer wardrobe.

Because you were still growing, you needed to go shopping for new summer clothes each year. You could always count on a shopping trip before you left for camp where you could stock up on Soffe shorts and sugar lips tank top.

7. The friends, unlike the ones you made anywhere else.

The friends you made at sleepaway camp kept you coming back each summer. You could always rely on them to make you laugh until your stomach hurt. You knew your friendships were real when you had several friendship bracelets on your wrists and ankles.

8. The lake that you never wanted to go in.

Every sleep away camp comes with a lake that no one ever wants to go in. While you never knew what was true and what wasn't, word on the street was that there were fish in the lake, and if you went far enough, they would bite your ankles. As long as you stayed in the canoe, you didn't have to actually go in.

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The summers you spent at sleep away camp are ones you will never forget. And you know that when you have kids, you want them to experience sleep away camp just like you did.