June 2006

I don’t think anybody has ever been more nervous for a single thing in their entire life. The day that June 1st came around, my palms had already started sweating by just the thought of it. How was I supposed to do it? Get on that bus, pull away from my parents, leave them for two months, leave my home, leave my little sister. How? The thought of being without my mother to say goodnight to me was the single most terrifying thing. I was told the food was gross, the people were mean and the days got too hot and you were forced to stay outside. As the bus rolled up on June 23rd, I had to be physically taken from my father’s arms and pushed through the doors with my too long shorts and my giant backpack on my back. That first step onto the bus was the start of something I had never thought it would be.

August 2013

I don’t think anybody has ever dreaded a single day more in their entire life. August 1st came around and the thought of it made my stomach come alive with butterflies and my chest become painful. How was I supposed to do it? Get on that bus, pull away from my best friends, leave them forever, leave my home, leave my favorite place on the entire planet. The thought of being without my 31 sisters was the single most terrifying thing. The people became my family and the shining sun glistening off the lake made me want to stay outside and dance like the rays on the water. As the bus rolled up on August 11th, I had to be physically dragged from my friends’ arms and pushed through the doors with my favorite outfit on, my camp uniform. That first step onto the bus was the end of something I had never thought it would be.