A Summer Camp Veteran
At a younger age, I had never considered myself to be a lover of summer camp. It was sort of just a place my mother would send me, to get me to engage in more activities during the summer and to have time to herself. I would do all the activities, but complain about the bugs and the people, who could be toxic. It always felt like a bit of an embarrassing hobby, too--what's the point of going to the woods for two weeks, especially if you don't even like nature that much? Eventually, however, I found that summer camp that made my life more worthwhile and gave me time to feel less pressured. It's a place where I could enjoy myself without it being contingent on the happiness of others while around me, or on the pressure of social media. The more time I spent at this camp, the more I realized the variety of experiences there to help me, and the amount of new things that help you relax. It’s something to be in a place where your presence is valued by almost everyone around you,...