#89 Go to summer camp

Attawaytogo: the motto of the summer camp I attended for 11 years (but we’ll get to that in a bit).

Camp Longhorn camper enjoying one of the many waterslides

I know that Holley already posted about working at a summer camp, but I had to add my two cents about attending summer camp. Unless we have a large young blog viewership, I guess this really goes out to adults who might eventually have kids and eventually consider sending them to a summer camp…

 

Camp Longhorn boy campers sailing on Inks Lake in Burnet, Texas

 

My piece of advice: SEND YOUR CHILD TO SUMMER CAMP! I say this because I believe I would not be the person who I am today if it weren’t for Camp Longhorn. (which by the way isn’t connected to UT – the camp founder “Tex” was a big UT swimmer & coach)

You know the posters you see that say, “Everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten”? Well, that’s how I feel about the lessons I learned through going to camp every summer for my entire childhood (and then young adult life as a counselor). There is no doubt in my mind, and it has been shown in national studies, that children will turn out more well-rounded, adjusted, mature, outgoing, able to live with others well, etc. when exposed to summer camp situations. Not to mention, the network of friends you will create after attending summer camp for awhile is beyond comprehension! It is kind of a joke among my friends who didn’t attend Camp Longhorn that it’s a cult because once two people start playing the Camp Longhorn name game and reminiscing, the rest is history. I have run into people who went to my same camp all over the world – literally when I’ve been abroad I’ve met fellow CLHers.

 

Camper riding horses at the Indian Springs location of CLH

The point is not what camp you go to, but that you go. Children and youth need to learn what it’s like to be away from home, get along with children they’ve never met before, be forced to be physically active and learn various sports and games, face challenges and have some good old-fashioned fun. My first year at camp, away from my parents for three weeks at age 9, I got really homesick and hated it for half of the term. It was the best experience though because I had to get through it, ended up having a great rest of the term and went back for 10 more years (I would still be going to camp if I could)!

p.s. In a completely unrelated topic, if you’re a horns football fan – then you should be excited about this latest development!