Last Day of Camp

I remember the excitement of school coming to the end for the year because that meant summer was here.  And with summer upon us, so were the various camps our parents had signed us up for.  Over the years of my adolescence it was combination of cheer camp at ACU in Abilene, church camp at Lake Brownwood, 4-H camp (also at Lake Brownwood), band camp, and many, many basketball camps.  Oh, and don’t forget Vacation Bible School.  In late elementary and Jr. High, I attended as a participant. In later years I became Camp Counselor/Participant therefore responsible for both attending events and also leading events.  I have so many fond memories from these camps.

Recently I have been cleaning out boxes of ‘things and stuff’; reorganizing memories, deciding what to keep, what to display, and what to simply throw out.  While picking thru boxes of camp memorabilia from decades ago, as well as other items from yesteryear, I began to think about how so many experiences in life, like camp, are similar…for the most part.  Of course, you will always have your favorite experience, your favorite camp, the one you will talk about forever. The experience goes like this…

When you arrive on your first day of camp you get your credentials, usually attached to a colorful lanyard, brochure of events, emergency contact paperwork to fill out, list of camp contacts, and a map of campus.  You are directed to your cabin, your home for the next week, and begin to make the bunk bed your own.  In your bags you might have brought a few reminders from home to decorate with. Your favorite stuffed animal, pictures of family, a postcard from someone special that is also camping that summer.  You hang your hats and backpack on one bed post and your necklaces on the other.  As a counselor, you always over pack with decorations, silly hats and items to give your bunk-mates.

Eventually, your bunk-mates arrive and you say your hellos, discuss where you are from, hobbies, etc.  Some of them you might already know from other various camps or events around the region/state, or they are a friend of a friend. Over the next week, these people will become more than just bunk-mates.  You will learn together, celebrate together, run and exercise together, have lunch and dinner together, and you possibly will even cry together.  Even if you do not know them personally, you all know you are there for the same reason.  You all have a purpose in being there, to learn and grow. 

After several days of waking up super early to get ready for the day, walking to the breakfast hall to experience the elaborate buffet of dry cereal and milk, oat meal, bananas and oranges, and sterno heated trays of sausage links and scrambled eggs, you have found that you have become really, really great friends with many of your fellow camp mates.  And knowing that camp is coming to an end in less than 30 hours, everyone begins to exchange information.  Phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses. Well, that was the old days.  Now it’s Instagram profiles, Facebook names, TikTok accounts, and other various social media addies.  That night after dinner, you all celebrate together at one last camp event.  Possibly a themed dance.  Maybe a spiritual celebration of Kumbaya around a fire pit.  God willing some sort of costume contest or talent show (which you just may have come prepared for!).   Many pictures are taken and future plans of connecting are made, and then you walk back to your cabin to begin packing. 

You packed late into the night, folding dirty clothes juuuusst right to lay flat, stuffing in your shoes and bathroom items, but of course you have also gathered an IKEA shopping bag worth of items while at camp that you have no room for.  But you are gonna. make. it. happen!  The next morning, breakfast comes and goes quickly, and one last event meeting ends as scheduled, followed by a few last hugs and tears and laughs.   Quickly you head back to the cabin to gather up your items; a suitcase thankfully on rolling wheels, a backpack filled so full it does not zip closed all the way, a small box you found near the garbage packed with other “must keep memorabilia” because you “will never forget this week, ever!”.  Oh and don’t forget the tightly rolled combo of bed sheets, sleeping bag and pillow that your pinky and ring finger, red and lifeless, are desperately holding onto. 

Passing by the table of Camp Counselors answering final questions, saying their goodbyes and cheering you on, you begin to cry, knowing that this phase in your summer has come to an end.  Memories loaded into the back of the bus, it begins to pull away. With you hanging out the window waving to friends, they are doing the same yelling “It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later” and “Let’s stay in touch!”.

And you think to yourself…”I can believe it’s over. How did 5 days go by so quickly?!”