I am 19 years old (not quite an adult but getting there), and for the past 13 summers I have spent them at a premium overnight camp. While most people find this to be an extreme waste of time, I have found that every second has been worth it. But there still are those haters...

1. I find myself FaceTiming 13 year-olds in my spare time.

While I probably should be studying for the 3 midterms I have tomorrow, I choose to spend my time in a more productive manner: FaceTiming my campers. I listen to their 8th grade drama, advising where necessary, and occasionally help them out with their homework. The initial idea of calling just to say hi (a 2 minute process) turns into an hour ordeal. Who knew I had so much to say to middle schoolers?

2. I find myself only wanting to be in relationships with camp people.

There's just something about camp people that put them in a league of their own. It's so nice not having to care about what you look like because they've already seen you with sweat and dirt running down your face.

3. I find myself relating EVERYTHING back to something that happened at camp.

Whether it's a song that was sung at a Friday night service or a dance move that was performed at an all camp activity, when something happens even remotely similar in the "real world" I have to take 20 minutes to explain the camp story. The quote "my campers do that" is used all too regularly with me.

4. I find myself singing the wrong lyrics to songs.

This one actually isn't my fault. Sitting through 6 hour song practices the day of Song Fest has trained me to turn lyrics to classic songs into ones that apply to camp. So when everyone is at a party screaming the words to that throwback, you can catch me in singing my own lyrics, which I happen to think are better.

5. I find myself telling stories that I know no one cares about.

Whether it is a new story or a story I've already told (let's be real, I've definitely told every story about 100 times), I watch people zone out as I have to explain every small detail of the most irrelevant stories. For some reason though, I can't seem to stop. My camp happens to be very different from other camps in its traditions. This is cause for a great deal of explaining minuscule details to people who don't care. But understanding the location of Big Rock is imperative to finding the story's tagline even remotely humorous.

6. I find myself surrounding myself with fellow camp lovers.

This is more of a natural, unconscious thing; but I have found that I am friends with more campies than non-campies. When I posted a picture to my Facebook when I received Color War General, it was more for the alumni of my camp to see. The amount of swarming texts I got from friends outside of my immediate camp world congratulating me was something I never expected. Does this mean I can put "winning Color War General" on my professional resume?

7. I find similarities in camps with my other camp-loving friends.

The day after arriving to school, I was sitting in the kitchen with a bunch of people. One of my friends received good news, and in that moment she jumped out of her chair and began doing a dance move where you thrust your hips through your arms and continue this motion in a semi-circular rotation. I was shocked, not because it was an impulsive and embarrassing reaction, but because just 8 days prior (on one of the last nights of camp) I finally perfected that same move that I had been trying to master all summer. I was clearly naive to think this dance move was unique to my camp because at least 10 other girls (including myself) screamed of excitement and joined her as they had been taught the same move.

8. I find myself dressing like I'm at camp.

The other day I left my house for class in a neon yellow raincoat, no bra, purple athletic shorts, and knee high rain boots. That isn't even acceptable at camp, but I didn't think anything of it.

9. I find myself talking to my camp friends at odd hours.

I can admit that I am that obnoxious girl that FaceTimes walking through campus. But hey, there are rare moments when my schedules sync up to my camp friend's and when I need to fill them in on everything. I am not about to pass up an opportunity. I have found myself waiting up just so I can tell my camp friend what I ate that day.

10. I find myself thinking about camp 97% of my time.

I knew I hit an all time low (or high depending on how you look at it) when I made a mnemonic for a music theory midterm "Best Ending After Dances, Getting Camp Fat". I spend most of my time in classes thinking about new dress up themes for the first dance.

I find myself constantly arguing with people on why I go back to camp summer after summer and I think if I had to give them one reason it would be because camp has made me who I am today. Many people think that camp is a waste of time and money. Why would you spend 8 weeks of your summer looking after kids, while you could be at home partying? I think camp means more to me as a 19 year old than it did when I was 6. I have found many things about loving camp as an adult, but by far the most important is that camp has made me the person I am today.