Dear Summer Camp,
I can still remember the first day I stepped foot on the sandy shores that surrounded you. The sky was blue, boats flew by, and even though I had no clue who the person next to me was or where I was, a feeling of home overtook me with every soft breeze that flew by. I never could have expected how much of an impact a single place or group of people could have on me.
There is no way a photograph could do your beauty justice. A picture can’t capture the sounds, smells and the way the ground feels in between my toes. It’s the essence of all of those things combined that makes everything about you so perfect. Time doesn’t exist within your safe walls and I could spend all day running around, making bracelets at Arts & Crafts, diving off the dock, shooting baskets or even watching the clouds move slowly throughout the sky.
Not only is the scenery breathtaking, but the people that walk with you to and from activities will be the most caring, hilarious and supportive you could ever meet. Everyone is there for the same reason: to be happy, to have fun and to be themselves. Throughout the weeks you spend at camp, the people who were once strangers become familiar faces; years can pass and it’s guaranteed that you and those girls from your first cabin will always pick up right where you left off.
Putting away all of the technology that is so prominent in today’s society allows everyone to let down their walls and be their most authentic self. Thank you, summer camp, for providing a place for me to let out the loudest laughs, break out the strangest dance moves and meet and learn from people with different backgrounds and cultures.
I’m trying to say is without camp, I would not be the person I am today. You’ve taught me so many things like how to be independent, appreciate nature, and accept everyone for who they truly are. I’ve gained a whole new perspective on life since that day I first time I walked through your sand. Thank you for everything you have given me and for what you continue to give to generations behind me. The memories I have with you only excite me for the future ones to come.