Sarah goes to camp

Hi, my name is Sarah. Last summer, I went to a sleepover camp for the very first time. To be honest, I wasn’t happy about going to camp. I didn't know a single person there! I thought that I would be Sarah Sadness, but soon my counsellor, Erica, gave me a nickname, Sarah Sunshine. Erica was the first person that I met when I arrived at camp. Before long, Erica was like a mom, a best friend, and a fun teacher, all rolled into one!

When we arrived and got off the bus, Erica gathered our cabin group of six. With a big smile, she introduced herself and each of us to everyone else in the group. She checked what name to call us. One girl, Elizabeth, wanted to be called Buffy and Makaila said that she preferred Kaila. Erica then made sure that we all had our backpacks. Before leaving the parking area, she checked that no one had left anything on the bus.

Then we all walked a short distance to our cabin. Our big pieces of luggage were already there. We chose our beds (I got a top bunk!) then Erica took us on a tour. She started with the important things like the bathrooms, shower house, dining room, and the main Lodge, where the whole camp gathers for meetings and programs. Then we saw the fun stuff: the swim dock, the canoes, kayaks and sailboats, the climbing wall, and the baseball diamond. 

I had lots of worries about camp. Where would I sleep? Would I like the food? Would I make friends? Would I be scared at night? Erica understood some of my fears without my even having to tell her!

At home, I have a bedroom all to myself. Who wants to sleep in a one-room cabin with a bunch of strangers? But very soon my cabinmates became my friends. I discovered that some of them were also new and didn't know anyone else, either.

Life at camp

Surprisingly, we managed in our small cabin if everyone kept their belongings at least a little bit tidy. There was a prize every week for the tidiest cabin. The winners got a tuck – that’s a candy bar. We won!

I didn’t need to worry about the food. The cooks and bakers know what kids like to eat: pizza, tacos, chickenburgers, macaroni and cheese, lasagna, grilled cheese sandwiches, homemade muffins, tarts, and ice cream! There was always lots to eat. The dining room was noisy. I was used to eating with just my mom, dad, and big brother − not hundreds of people with everyone talking at once!  But I got used to it. They made sure that everyone was quiet before they made important announcements. After eating, we got to sing in the dining room, which was fun. There were songbooks with words, but I soon got to know many of the favourites.

We were so busy having fun all day I hardly ever thought about home. Every day we learned new things. At campcraft, we learned how to find dry wood, what to use as tinder, and how to build and light a campfire. We found a long thin stick, soaked it in the lake, and roasted marshmallows over the fire. We learned how to put out a campfire safely. At canoeing, the instructor taught us the parts of a paddle and how to get into a canoe properly. She told us to keep our weight low and centered. She showed us how to move the paddle in the water. We made friendship bracelets at Arts and Crafts.

Every night after dinner, we had a special program. We played Capture the Flag. Kaila and I were on the same team with lots of other campers. Kaila scratched her leg on a branch when we were running through the woods and it was bleeding. Cheryl, the camp nurse, gently washed it, put on a band-aid, and we got right back in the game. Cheryl is nice and is always in the Health Centre if you need her.

We created a comedy skit, which our whole cabin, including Erica, performed at Talent Night.  Another evening, we watched a play by the older campers.

At first, bedtime was the hard part. I was used to having my mom tuck me in. But Erica was great. After a fun evening program, together we all went to the bathroom and the washhouse to brush our teeth. When we got back to our cabin and into our pajamas and bed, we chatted about our fun day and what we would do tomorrow. Then Erica read us a story and sang to us before saying goodnight and turning out the light. She told us that she would be next door if we needed her. 

At night, it's very dark! There were no streetlights, car lights, or lights shining from buildings.  I thought that I would be scared, but it was OK because my new friends were in their beds beside me. Erica was nearby. She told us to have our flashlights by our bed if we needed to get up at night.

It's also very quiet! There are no car horns honking or sirens wailing in the distance. Erica also told us about some sounds that we might hear. She described owls hooting in the forest or loons calling on the lake.  I discovered that a loon’s call is a beautiful sound to hear!  Erica reassured us that nothing would harm us.

Late one night, Erica got us up to look at the night sky. I had never seen so many stars. Wow! It was amazing!         

At first, I didn’t want to go to camp but now, I'm so glad that I did. I'm counting down the days till I return to camp this summer! 

Catherine Ross’s lifelong love of camp goes back to 1953 at Camp Tanamakoon in Algonquin Park. She directed and owned (with her husband George) Camp Mi-A-Kon-Da for more than two decades. She is the former President of the Society of Camp Directors and Executive of the Canadian Camping Association/Association des camps du Canada, and an Honourary Lifetime Member of the Ontario Camps Association. She has published seven books on camp including When the Wilderness Beckons (1979), The Mi-A-KonDa Story (2004), How to be a Camp Counsellor (2005), Tanamakoon, Where We Will Never Grow Old, (2007), Memories, Moments, Magic: The Wenonah Story (2016), A Camp Director's Diary (2020), and Camp Tanamakoon 1925-2024 A Collection of Stories from Alumni to Celebrate 100 Years! (2024). Her articles on camping have appeared in Toronto’s City Parent and Canadian Living.