Advice from a Camper

Hadden Peel, a Senior Senior camper this summer, has some advice! I would have formatted the blog and put in a lot of pretty pictures, but we are working all over camp getting everything ready. I will give a word of advice then turn it over to Hadden.

1. We open the camp for move-in at 8:30 (we open the softball field “holding area” at 7:30).
2. Most people arrive between 7:30 and 8:15.
3. While waiting at the Softball field make friends, visit the photo booth, pick up some stickers, and shop at the Greystone Store.

ENJOY, and see you tomorrow!

Breathe!

If you are like me, the night before Opening Day is one with very little sleep, re-reading Jimboy’s blogs (an insane amount of times), and bundles of nerves. For the past six years, my worries have come the night before “The Greatest Show” without fail. It seems silly that I get so nervous the night before, especially at 16. I know the schedule, the girls, and the camp. Why am I always so nervous? After years of late-night freak-outs, I think I’ve finally figured it out.

I’m nervous that I won’t live up to the amazing opportunity I’ve been given. Lots of sacrifices are made in order for me to be able to go to Greystone, especially for my up-coming seventh year. I want to make every single moment perfect but I know that the worldly perfection I desire is impossible to achieve. This desire for “perfection” has intensified in the last few years as I realize my time as a camper is coming to a close. As much as I seek perfection in my camp experience, a “perfect” camp is not a camp, it’s a fantasy. One of the beauties of Greystone is that the whole experience stretches you in unbelievable and unexpected ways. Maybe you are stretched to try a new food you have never tried, or a friendship requires more work than you are used to. Maybe like me, you get lost on your first day, slip in the rain, and find yourself crying in a mud puddle, all on your birthday. Each experience stretches you, sometimes uncomfortably, and leaving you soaked in mud.

These experiences may seem to counter your “perfect” summer, but these experiences are what make your summer unforgettable. I would not change a single thing in my last six years at camp, for each obstacle has stretched me to become a person I did not realize I could become. If I spy a new food I have never tried, I’m one of the first at my table to give it a taste. If a friendship is more difficult than I thought, I see it as a challenge to make that friendship as strong as it can be. Thanks to my imperfect summers, instead of crying in a mud puddle, I laugh in it.

To the girls (and parents) who are in the same boat as me, breathe. This summer won’t be perfect, but it will be one to remember for the rest of your life. Relax, turn your phone off, and try to sleep thinking of the friends you’re going to see, blueberry scones, and the memories you’re going to make. Get ready for Summer 100!

My last-minute advice!

• Keep a bathing suit with you and separate from your duffel/trunk so that you can have it handy for the swim test.
• If you wear mascara tomorrow, make sure it is waterproof for the swim test.
• Wear good shoes tomorrow! It has rained a lot in the last few days, so it’s probably not best to wear sandals.
• Pack sheets at the top of your bag so that they are easier to reach!
• Pick up some Greystone stickers at the hospitality tent in the am! In my opinion, they look great on cars!