I’ve been going to summer camp for as long as I can remember. 

As a little kid, I went to a day camp where my summers were filled with splashes in the pool, rock climbing, and dancing under the blazing summer sun. Once I aged out of day camp, I found myself signing up for four weeks of overnight camp. 

The first time, I spent weeks perfecting my packing. By the time I had finished, I had two giant duffles with my last name labeled in pink; it held cubes of stationary and stickers, fans, flashlights, and a miscellaneous pile with my camera – soon to capture many memories. 

When the day to leave finally came, I vividly remember holding my pillowcase and backpack stuffed with snacks as my mom snapped a hundred photos. While most of the kids were struggling to say goodbye, I was struggling to get permission to leave. After I finally sat down, I was left with an inexplicable feeling: excitement in the face of the unknown. 

My first summer at Camp Chi was filled with incredible memories, photos, stories, and people. However, this all came with time as it took a while to get used to the difference of a camp environment. During the first few nights, I’d often hear the cries of my friends. The whimpers were a result of their sadness – homesickness. 

I’ve been lucky enough to always be excited when it came to camp. 

New people, new activities, and new food were all the foundation of our lives for the next four weeks. 

On the other hand, this way of living clearly took a toll on many of my camp friends; this was their first time being away from home for an extended period of time.  For many of my friends, this was hard to cope with since they hadn’t experienced anything like this before.  

Days passed, and their cries slowed as they adjusted to camp. 

Through the constant aid and support of counselors and friends, those engulfed with homesickness, slowly let the pain of missing home fade away. Instead of shutting down at night, they would join in our conservations, card games, and laughter. 

Their smiles grew bigger as they jumped into the pool instead of sitting on the pool deck side. While singing songs at song sessions, their voices jumped into the melody. They soon began to embrace everything it had to offer. 

As August approached and the last few days of camp loomed, their homesickness had faded into a new form of sadness- not wanting to go home.

 I’ve learned through my first year at camp how the struggles of missing home can affect one’s summer experience. Although, through community and friendship, it is just a hurdle to overcome for an amazing summer worth experiencing to the fullest.