Hi, Skyland Camper! We miss seeing you at the barn, in the Clubhouse, down at the pool, and everywhere else on the hill!
We know it can be exciting, strange and even a little sad to be home from camp. Over the last 100 years, many “Green and White” girls have shared their feelings about returning home at the end of their stay at camp. In all likelihood, you’ve experienced a lot of emotions. You might feel happy to see your family and friends, surprised that home feels a little different than you remembered, or sad to be far away from your friends at camp. Here is our best advice about how you can settle in after camp- and bring a little bit of camp into your life at home!
Rest up!
Going to camp for the first time is a huge deal! You might not understand how tired you are from learning how to be away from home and at camp, trying new things, and growing up a whole lot in just 18 days!. Give yourself plenty of time to rest and enjoy some of the laid-back activities you missed about home when you were at camp. Have a movie night with your family, find a quiet spot to read or write, and make sure you get lots of sleep. All this rest will help you process your feelings as you transition back home.
It’s Okay To Feel _________
We’ve said this before, and we’ll say it again: going to camp is a big deal! Friendship at camp happens quickly, and our connections with camp friends often last a lifetime. It’s normal that you might really miss them now. It’s also normal to feel happy to be home, so be prepared for a mix of emotions. It’s okay to feel whatever you are feeling. Let yourself feel sad if you do, and be sure to let a trusted loved one in on what’s happening in your head and heart. Once you move beyond missing camp, you can begin to look forward to coming back next summer!
Write Your Friends
We love hearing about how girls write to their camp friends all year until next summer finally arrives. Write your friends! It will help you feel better about missing them, and they’ll LOVE receiving mail! They miss you too! They might even write back. You are also welcome to write us here at camp. We LOVE hearing from campers, and promise to always write back.
Share Your Stories
One way to honor the feelings you’re having is to write them down, create a collage, or tell some stories from camp to the people you love. If you do choose to write them down, you can look back at them for many years to come and treasure those memories. Recounting your stories from camp can help your family understand why it was so special for you- and why you miss camp so much. Families sometimes don’t understand the connections you make during your time at camp, and may feel left out.
Share Your Songs, Games, and Traditions
If there’s a song, game, meal or camp tradition you really loved, ask your family if you can re-create it together, or with friends. This can help you bring a little bit of camp home with you, and show your family all of the cool things you learned. Invite your friends over to play camp games or ask a parent or sibling to learn the lyrics to your favorite camp song. Roast marshmallows with your friends or ask your parents to help you recreate a favorite food from camp.
Find a Cool New Activity or Club
It’s very likely that you can find some version of an activity or sport that you loved at camp at home. Once you’ve taken a few days to rest, If you enjoyed archery or swimming, ask your parents if you can find a team to join. If you loved theater and singing, ask your family to help you find a children’s theater or to sign you up for voice lessons. You could even try cooking some of Suzanne’s amazing camp meals for your family.
Remember Your First Day of Camp?
Especially if you were a first-time camper this summer, you may have felt anxious or scared to be at camp. You may have been missing home, feeling nervous about making new friends, or shy about trying camp activities. Thinking back on that first day or two at camp will help you remember how far you’ve come and how brave you were. It will also make you a great mentor for new campers in the years ahead. How great was it to have other girls around you understand that camp is fun and an adjustment as well. You can be the same support for a new camper next summer.
Guess what? That bravery did not stay at camp when you left! You brought it home with you. In fact, you get to carry it with you from now on. Just like the first few days at camp, the first few days at home or of the new school year might require that you pull that bravery out of your pocket.
Now that you conquered your first sleepaway camp, you know you can conquer anything. We hope that you’re settling in nicely to life-at-home and that you’re ready to rock the rest of your summer and your school year.
