Contributor
SOFIA CULPEPPER
Camp Fire Camp El Tesoro Counselor In Training
Like many other kids my age, I grew up watching camp movies like The Parent Trap and Camp Rock. Though those movies admittedly aren’t the most realistic portrayal of summer camp, watching them made me long to have a magical summer camp experience as the main characters had.
As I got older and more self-conscious, I would use these movies as an escape mechanism rather than daydream material; something I’m sure many kids my age can relate to as well.
My first year at Camp El Tesoro I was 10 years old, and I was a bundle of nerves from the moment my parents dropped me off. I was sure that I would be homesick and have trouble making friends. It turned out to be the complete opposite. Counselors, CITs, and fellow campers were all quick to make me feel welcomed and comfortable.
Before I knew it, my session had ended and I was saying goodbye to some of the closest and quickest friends I’d ever made. The welcoming atmosphere at camp kept me coming back year after year and is what motivates me to come back now as a CIT.
I always left camp more motivated and confident than before, and I carried that energy with me into the school year.
I’m still a relatively self-conscious person, most teenagers are, and the initial nerves of trying something new never really go away. However, I’m confident in saying that my years at Camp El Tesoro have played a big role in making me the person I am today, and I’ll remember and cherish my time there forever.
Join Sofia at a Camp El Tesoro Overnight Camp.
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