Wednesday, July 26, 2006

I recently received an e-mail for a weekend retreat called Back To Camp, which asks alumni of various (and from what I can tell all Jewish) sleepaway camps. As a kid I attended 4 summer camps over 7 years (1 at Eagle Cove, then 2 each at Wekeela*, Akiba, and Canadensis), and was never thrilled about any of the experiences. And yet I kept getting sent back. I guess my parents really needed some alone-time during the summer. You'd think they would've gotten the hint when, one year at my goodbye dinner the night before I was shipped out, I computed how many seconds until I would next see them (yes, I was also sort of a math geek at the time).
I haven't kept in touch with friends I met at camp. I had no interest in becoming a counselor. So I don't see myself attending this event. But if you did go to any of these camps and want to reconnect, knock yourself out.

* One day when I was pretending to be sick so I could stay home from school, I was flipping through a Peterson's Guide to Summer camps. When I turned to the section on Wekeela, I found a picture of my 9-year-old self fishing off a pier, wearing a huge mesh baseball cap and Jams (the lame 80s version with big stupid plaid patterns all over them). I don't remember the camp ever asking my permission to use the photo… or giving my any money for it...

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