Hey there,

I haven’t seen you in a few months too many. I hope all is well and that when I return, in a few short weeks now, everything is just as I left you: a picture-perfect memory.

I guess that’s a pretty cheesy way to start off this letter, but I can’t think of any other way to describe this place. In the most simple sense, that’s exactly what you are, what you have been, what you hopefully will continue to be- a perfect memory. I fondly think back at my summers past and eagerly look forward to my summers future.

I just want to thank you. I want to thank you for being the most wonderful place to grow up. The best place for me to battle out my awkward phase. The best place for me to challenge my world views. The best place for me to dig deep inside of myself and figure out who I really am. Just as much as I want to thank you for doing all of those things for me, I want to thank you for doing those things for so many others… because, really and truly, you make this world a better place.

I remember being eleven and finding out my parents were sending me to summer camp. I was confused, I was scared, and quite frankly, I was a bit annoyed. An entire week spent in a new place, away from my beloved flip phone, away from my middle school friendships… It seemed like too much to handle. But that week spent in the woods hit me hard and taught me so much. I realized then, that summer going into the seventh grade, the importance of putting yourself out there. I realized that you needed to foster friendships. I learned that every situation is more about what you make of it than it is what is handed to you.

And in the next decade of summers, I learned even more. I understood what it meant to be happy- it’s a way of life and you choose it for yourself. I grew an appreciation for the intricate details of the world around me- from the berries on the bushes to the owls in the trees. I found confidence in myself- sometimes making a fool out of yourself can do wonders for your ego. I learned empathy, tolerance, and compassion- not everyone is going to be like you are and, honestly, that’s an amazing thing.

You constantly reminded me of who I wanted to be and how I wanted to get there. You provided me with some of the most fantastic role models: a group of kind, independent, genuinely happy individuals with a love for life and a lust for learning. From that young of an age, I was lucky enough to have an idea in my head of the type of adult that I wanted to be… and look at me now. I know I couldn’t have made it this far without your help. I can only imagine how different of a person I would have become.

I love the person in me that you have created, but even more than that I love bearing witness to the other people you have made. Both as a fellow camper and now as a counselor, one of my favorite things in life is watching the character development of others. Summer camp changes everyone for the better; the people I’ve met over the years at camp have been an integral part in my life and who I am and I’m so lucky to have that same role in the lives of others.

Summers have come and summers have gone; each one opening a new door and teaching me something different about myself. From a camper, to a CIT, to a counselor: I’ve been lucky enough to get to know you so well. So, cheers. Cheers to the life-long friendships that you have helped me foster. Cheers to the talents and the passions inside me that you have helped me discover. Cheers to the bad habits you have forced me to break and the new ones that you have helped me develop.

I miss you a lot, but I know I’ll see you soon. Thanks again for everything.

Love, Me

“Sometimes I know that a part of you will show
Deep in my eyes or in my smile
There'll always be a part of you deep inside my heart
And I'll know just when to let it go”
–Shooting Star