"I have spent 12 years, two-thirds of my life, coming to camp"

Here's an excerpt from a wonderful essay by our counselor Heather on the special, sometimes hard-to-describe feeling one gets from experiencing YMCA Camp year after year:

I have spent 12 years, two-thirds of my life, coming to camp. Often times my friends will ask me why I keep returning to a place that on the outside appears to be the same every year. When I am questioned like this, a flood of memories spills into my thoughts — people, names, places and songs fill my mind.

Now, you would think that with all these wonderful memories buzzing around my head, I would be able to ramble for hours about the joys of camp, but often I find my response to be stuck inside my throat and I respond with a simple, "It's hard to explain; it's just a feeling that camp gives me."

While this does nothing to inform my friend about camp, I believe it is the most honest answer I can give, because this "feeling" is what makes camp different, and the beautiful thing is that it is different to everyone.