“You should go back to camp for the summer. It’ll be good for you.”
They say a mother always knows what’s best for her kid. And that is true. My mom told me I should go back to camp during Spring of 2017, back when I was a freshman in college. I’ll be honest, taking her advice turned out to be the best decision I’ve made in my life.
It had been a few years since I had officially been at camp for the summer. I was a CIT in 2014 and a camper for six years prior to that. Although I didn’t spend another full summer at camp since 2014, I had come up for every color war. I mean c’mon, Wildwood runs through my veins, I could never miss the most important part of the summer. Why I took a two year gap from camp is unimportant, what is important is that I came back. Literally moments after I submitted my application, I received my phone call. I was in. And I could not have been happier.
Now let me take a step back and get a little more personal. Before coming back to Wildwood, I had been having a rough time mentally. It wasn’t my transition to college or anything like that. Camp amply prepared me for life away from home. What was going on in my head is a story not needed for this blog. I only bring it up because it is important to understanding my return to camp.
Wildwood is the only place I can truly be who I want to be. I am surrounded by my brothers day in and day out. Best of all, everyone knows who everyone is. That right there is true brotherhood. No matter if you’re a camper or a counselor, your worst day at camp is better than your best day at home. That statement, given to us every year in precamp, has never proven untrue by the way. Camp is really an incredible experience.
Anyways, Summer 2017 finally arrives and I made my way up to Bridgton. Within the first two days of precamp, I was told I was going to be Group Leader of the Sequoias. It felt unprecedented, but I later found out I was not the youngest Senior Camp Group Leader, I was tied for it. It was going to be a lot of responsibility, but I was ready for it. And looking back now, I would not have had the same experience if this did not occur. Everything happens for a reason right? For a while I had been giving up on that statement, but that moment changed everything. The Sequoias group, now my Seniors this year, were and still are, hands down, undisputed, best group in camp. So no one gets mad, this is my personal opinion with my personal bias because they are my boys.
The joy these boys gave me was like no other. From inside jokes to trip day adventures my days were filled with fun and laughter. With no judgement, I was able to play around like I was a 13 year old boy, but I didn’t have to deal with all that puberty stuff. The stories I could tell about Sequoia year and then later Maple year are best suited for a campfire. Plus, I’m not sure what age the average viewer of this blog is, so we’ll just keep at that. Thanks to my boys, what was going to be a one year fling, turned out to be a three summer commitment. I couldn’t be happier about that.
Camp however isn’t just about your relationships with campers, but also the other counselors. The friendships I have made with counselors have been the best friendships I have today. Camp has allowed me to meet amazing people from all around the world. What makes these friendships last is simple: Wildwood. Wildwood gives us the privilege to live with our best friends for 8 straight weeks, basically in isolation. Nobody cares or even knows about your background. None of the drama from the rest of your life follows you to camp. Like I said earlier, at Wildwood, you get to be who you want to be.
Yes, working as a counselor is a job. There are tons of responsibilities and camp only runs smoothly if you fulfil these responsibilities. But day in and day out it doesn’t feel like a job. When it comes down to it, it’s just seven weeks of playing around with your brothers. It’s just a hell of a lot of fun. That’s why when I wake up at revelry in the morning, I don’t feel like I’m waking up for work, I’m just waking up for breakfast.
Adam Bass was a camper at Wildwood from 2008 to 2013. This summer will be his third as a Group Leader.
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