People used to tease me about going to church camp every summer. However, I’ve come to realize that those people simply didn’t understand what these camps are truly about. Furthermore, while they were busy joking about my summer plans, they were missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime that is church camp. The unspoken lessons that I learned while on a mountain at church camp are the lessons that I carry with me every single day. Unlike what I have learned in a classroom, what I learned from twelve years of church camp is applicable to every single situation I will encounter for the rest of my life.

When I first started going to church camp I was only six years old. I hated the first couple of years because I didn’t like being away from home and I only had a few friends there. However, as I got older I began to appreciate the opportunity to go away for one week each summer. Going to camp was more than a chance to play games and see friends. Camp was a time to leave behind the struggles of the real world and just enjoy being alive. Of course, I grew in my faith with daily lessons but these religious teachings aren’t what have helped me through the most difficult of times.

After switching schools and dealing with typical teenage troubles, I began looking forward to going to camp each summer. In high school, the people I was closest to weren’t the people I saw every day in class but rather the people I saw for one week out of the entire year. Today my closest girlfriends don’t go to the same college as I do and I rarely see them, but we met at church camp and share a special bond because of that.

The beauty of church camp is that it is an entire week away from the petty struggles of the real world. We left behind our cell phones, school friends, and varying backgrounds in order to better ourselves. We were able to open up and be honest about the highs and lows of our lives without the threat of people spreading our secrets. There was an unspoken trust among all of us when we were at camp. We were all the same: a community of teens learning to love one another despite our differences. The people I trust most are those that I met through church camp.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned at church camp was how to be a leader and a role model. After being a camper for several years, I wanted to give back to my camp by being a counselor. In this role I learned that I have the ability to be a leader. My time as a camp counselor taught me not to take life too seriously and gave me the confidence I needed to make it through high school and the beginning of college.

This past summer was the first time in twelve years that I didn’t get a week at church camp. I honestly felt like a piece of my heart was missing. It’s crazy to me that a place I spent less than a few weeks at each summer could mean so much to me. I still find myself smiling at the memories I made at camp and seeing my church camp friends makes me happier than anything else.

I am beyond thankful for the opportunity I had to attend church camp every summer as a kid. I am even more thankful for everything I learned about life and love at camp. Teens are under this impression that church camp is lame and that it’s way cooler to spend your summers hanging out at home. But the truth is, camp is an incredibly rewarding experience and it’s so much more than a religious event. Sure, I learned a lot about religion and God, but I also learned how to love others. I learned how to be a leader, how to be accepting of other people, how to be a good listener, and most importantly I learned how valuable it is to have a community of people supporting you.

People might have been judgmental or made fun of me for being a church camp kid, but I’m proud of my history with my camp and I am thankful for each of the life lessons it taught me. Church camp isn’t about God; it’s about learning to live a gratifying life through love and community.