As the sky turns grey and New England winter sets in, my mind wanders back to warmer weather and to the best summer job a college kid could ask for. I can’t believe it’s been more than six months since I got on that plane with little more than a blanket and a pair of tennis shoes. I had no idea where I was going, or what it would come to mean to me.

When I came back to school dumbfounded at my friends “WHAT ARE THOSE?!” references, I realized just how much I had been cut off from the world over the summer. My friends asked how I spent my days without Netflix, social media, or constant contact with everyone from school, and at the time, I didn’t really have an answer. But, now I do and I want to thank you for giving me this answer.

It was easy to go without these things because I had so much more. Funny dressing room mishaps before the camp play were far more hilarious than any YouTube videos that had gone viral. Listening to my campers sing at the talent show was more memorable than any Top 40 song that came out will ever hope to be.

Giving kids piggy back rides and running around with them was more fun than taking a class at the gym and at the end of the day when I finally got in my bunk I was too exhausted to even think about my comfy bed at home. I may have missed out on vacations, but the adventures I had on my days off, driving around in the ten-passenger vans made it all worth it. And as great as these days off were, the best part was coming back to campers excited to talk about everything they did that day.

As great as working at camp was, my job was far from perfect. I learned very quickly that there is no such thing as a ‘normal’ day at camp. But even when things became chaotic, even when one kid was throwing up and another refused to put a swimsuit on; it was easy to find joy in the little things. Whether it was a joke from a shy camper, a smile from your co-counselor, or really good apples at lunch, there was always something to smile about.

When everything became too overwhelming, I knew there were a hundred people that would back me up. Thank you for giving me these incredible people, from all over the world, because I learned something from every one of them, and I most definitely would not have lived through this summer without them.

Thank you for being the place where someone made me smile and where I got to make someone else smile. For the campfires, ice cream nights, and pool parties. Thank you for the countless hugs and crafts from my little campers, and for letting me see them smile and grow every day. Thank you for giving me a place where I got to spend my summer in gym shorts and tennis shoes. But more than any of this, thank you for giving me a summer surrounded by people that cared about everyone, laughed without hesitation, and loved unconditionally.