"I didn't want to leave all my new friends"

18 DAYS UNTIL HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR GRAND OPENING!

Talk to a YMCA Camp counselor, and he or she will likely tell you a personal story about how Y Camp changes lives. In many cases, the story involves an initial resistance to camp, or a hard time fitting in at first, but such experiences help to mold the youngsters and lead them on a path to becoming one of our great leaders. Chelsea is one of them:

When I turned 13, my mother asked me if I would want to try Y Camp. I had never been away from home before, so I was kind of nervous and scared. When I showed up for check-in day, I really didn't know what to think. I met my counselor and fellow campers and thought that I had made a huge mistake. When I got on the bus to begin the two-hour drive to camp, I cried all the way there and didn't talk to anyone.

The next two days were interesting. All of my cabin mates continuously tried to to get me to have fun and participate in the activities. After the third day, I finally let myself go and really started to have fun. As the week went on, I became more enthused to be at camp. I loved all my new friends and my counselor. 

On the last night of camp, our whole cabin took our sleeping bags outside and lied under the stars and just talked. That was the best night of the week. The next day, it was time to pack up and go home. I didn't want to leave all my new friends and the fun I had had behind, but they all assured me that they would be back next summer and I told them that I would, too. 

I don't know what made me change on that third day, but I'm glad I did because if I wouldn't have, I wouldn't be where I am right now. This will be my seventh year at camp, and I wouldn't give it up for the world! I work at camp to have fun and change people's lives. The relationships last a lifetime and so do the memories.