When I was six years old, I attended Camp Goodtimes for the first time ever and it was nothing like my expectations.
I had been worried about what would happen at camp and if I was going to make friends, or if I was going to be the kid in the corner who doesn’t really like camp. When the bus pulled up and I walked through the chorus of “You Are My Sunshine,” I knew right then and there that Camp Goodtimes was going to be my favourite place in the world, and that I was going to love it.
I graduated from kids’ camp when I was 13, but I wasn’t too upset because I knew that there was still Teen Camp! I knew that I was going to come back to see my friends, Dave, Gary and Gracie, and that’s what kept me going through high school.
And yet I knew someday I’d have to graduate for good from this wonderful place, and I thought I would never be prepared to say goodbye. Leaving camp at the end of every summer is hard for everyone, because we never really want to go. We want to stay and have more Dirt Dessert competitions, have more Jam Sessions, dress up in crazy outfits and pretend that it’s normal, and dance the nights away. There are many people who feel like the end of camp is heart-breaking, but they know that there will be more outrageous memories to make next year.
This year, I knew that graduating from Teen Program would be hard, because there will be no more camper craziness. But I can look forward to the next step of the Camp Journey: LIT-ing with Jace and Cynthia has shown me that I am ready for the next chapter of my journey. For the campers who are graduating this year, I encourage you to take the next step and LIT. It’s the coolest program ever, and it will help you get ready to become an amazing volunteer.
Camp will remain a part of me always, because it helps define who I am. Thank you to Dave, Gary, and Gracie who have been by my side ev- ery step of the way and to my amazing group of friends who keep the camp spirit alive all year round. Camp is really the best thing that can happen to anyone. My advice is to cherish every moment you have at camp.
