summer camp

Its almost time to take my family to summer camp..yes, summer camp. Its the camp I began attending when I was 13 years old, that I have been to nearly every summer since then. You see, I still take one week each summer to teach a leadership course to a new batch of campers who are lucky enough to take part in such a terrific camp experience.

What's not to like about camp? The lake, the excitement, the campfires, the people, the sunsets. What's more, I'm still lucky enough to experience it when I'm nearly 30 years old! I get to be a kid again - albeit with a few more responsibilities.

However, this year we'll be experiencing a family first. My husband and munchkin will be joining me for the entire week. The hubby has been up many times over the years; I worked a full summer the first year we were dating, and he has visited in previous years when I have been teaching, but never for the full session. I'm thrilled they'll be joining me, but I only hope they will love it in the same way I do.

Its interesting when a family comes together, beginning with two people who have grown up with different experiences, having differing places that mean so much to them. The hope in that union is that your partner will love the things you do with the same enthusiasm and appreciation. That's how I feel about this scenario: this camp played a significant role in shaping the person I am today, and I want my family to feel and experience just how special it is, coming away with the same warm memories and sense of simple happiness it brings me each time I visit.

Perhaps their appreciation for it won't be exactly same as mine, but hopefully they'll see the beauty in the surroundings, the peacefulness of being in a place with no cell reception or internet, and the camaraderie and joy that this group of people can bring you in just seven short days. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a well-loved, annual family getaway for us.