Archery, Horses, and S'Mores: My Memories from Summer Camp

August 27, 2012
I was seven-years-old the first time that I went to Summer Camp. It was also the last time that I would go to camp for several years. Being away from my parents for a week with some strange people did not go well with me -- although, my parents probably enjoyed the time away from me.

I tried again a few years later, but I didn't start having fun until I was old enough for the horse camp that was offered to junior and senior high school students. A couple of years after I started attending horse camp, my best friend from across the street was old enough to join me, and we were inseparable. We took all of the same skills -- like bow hunting skills, and computer hacking skills...I'm just kidding...but not about the archery -- and, more importantly, we rode horses together.



I remember learning how to knee-board, and, somehow, never falling off a tube despite how the driver of the boat would make the waves as huge as he possibly could. I loved when our councilors would wake us up late at night to play some amazing capture-the-flag type game in the dark -- this would only happen with the older groups, and it was the most epic game of epic proportions.

But what I loved most of all was sitting by the campfire and watching the sun set over the lake and listening to the Loons while we sang songs, prayed, and told stories. It was always bitter-sweet when we would talk about our favourite moments from camp during the last fire on the Friday night before our parents would come and pick us up the next day.


  
The hardest part, as you were hugging your new friends good-bye and getting their mailing addresses, was knowing that you would probably never see this person again, and that you would stop writing letters after a few months -- despite saying that you would never forget. But those memories that we made while eating candy we bought from the tuck shop, or hanging out on the beach while learning how to swim, or making s'mores while sitting by the campfire, those are the memories that I plan on keeping forever.



Do you have any fun memories from Summer Camp?





5 comments

  1. this is so cool! as you know, i just posted my feelings about camp :) i'm glad you had these experiences... they sound amazing. i never went to a sleepaway camp, so doing it as a counselor was unique for me! xx

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    1. I just read that, actually! I'm so glad you got to experience sleep-away camp :)

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  2. Camp sounds fantastic! Now-a-days is it so hard to get away from the computer/technology. I think they should have some kind of fun camp for adults. They probably do - I should look into that!

    xo - Brandi

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    1. The totally should have a fun camp for adults! I would definitely go to a horse camp again. Thanks for stopping by, Brandi! Good to see you again :)

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  3. ellesee, i loved this post. you are so cute on that horse. i like the poignancy you included. how even though you would want so badly to stay in touch with your new friends, into perpetuity, it just never went that way...

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