Just as my first home did, my second home--one surrounded by mountains, tennis courts, and friendly faces--taught me lessons applicable to everyday life.
1. You don't always get your way
Not being on a color war team with your friends, having swim instruction first thing in the morning and getting a wet life jacket rather than a dry one, shows us that not everything is in our control. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.
2. Spend your money wisely
You will regret going crazy on circle pizzas and hot pretzels at canteen when you see the lack of pages in your book. Spend when necessary...
3. Don't overpack
Living with 12 or more other people with open cubbies, left out shoes, and constantly mixed laundries prepares you for sharing, borrowing and lending to others. Pack the necessities because you will most likely be coming home with clothing that doesn't belong to you.
4. Good hygiene
Shower hour, job wheels, and dance parties while brushing your teeth made keeping clean a priority (especially when a prize is involved for a perfectly cleaned bunk).
5. Doing for others goes a long way
Others say there is no I in team, cheaters never prosper, and what goes around comes around. For me, this is what you call STARFISH. Your summer home not only serves as a getaway, but a place that instills values needed for life.
6. Embrace your natural beauty
There aren't products to tame lake water-filled hair, heat wave sweats, and strange tan lines. What not to wear, who wore it better, and the hottest modern trend do not apply in camp.
7. Night snacking = bad
That one snack limit at canteen relates to the urge of excessive late night snacking, a temptation many of us fight. While the options may all be full of sugar, look at it as your reward after a hard days work.
8. You can't be good at everything
Unless you are extremely blessed, you're not going to be the star athlete, creative artist, and theater soloist. Camp is where we recognize our strengths and weaknesses.
9. A friendly level of competition
While we all love to win, it isn't everything. The effort we put forward on the field translates to our motivation in the real world.
10. Feeling good while in shape
That summer diet is one we all looked forward to. While working out at camp is involuntary because of the long walks and constant activity, we loved the results we saw when we got home.
11. Time flies...
We learn that the two months at camp pass in the blink of an eye. Here is where we learn to hold onto good memories, learn from the bad, and cherish the power of time.
12. Strong relationships last a lifetime
While friendship is represented with matching bracelets in camp, real bonds are unbreakable. There are the people that you can't go a day without speaking to and there are those who you don't speak to as often, yet it feels like nothing has changed when you do
