What The Parent Trap Got Right about Camp - and What It Got Wrong!
As some folks might know, I’m not a life-long Greystone girl! Although as I like to say, I got here as soon as I could. I’m coming up on nine summers now, but before the summer of 2012, my knowledge of what girls’ camp was like was mostly rooted in the movie “The Parent Trap.” I’ve seen both versions (the Hayley Mills version and the Lindsay Lohan version), but the 1998 is my favorite. Some of the things I gleaned from that movie proved to ring true to camp, and some…not so much. If you, like me, are a Parent Trap fan, enjoy this list of truths and falsehoods from the movie!
Right - Fencing is super fun. At camp, we have a staff “play day” where our counselors practice teaching activities while other staff take those activities. A big highlight one year was when Cat and I got to take fencing - so fun! Even though, to be fair, we weren’t nearly as skilled as Hallie and Annie.
Wrong - How did that boy get in there anyhow? And more importantly, how is he openly talking on his cell phone in the middle of camp? These are questions for which I don’t have the answer, but I can only tell you it sounds unlikely at best.
Right - Oreos and peanut butter are an amazing combo. I know, I know…we’re peanut free at Greystone, and we don’t sneak in food. But in the comfort of your own home, I highly encourage you to try it! Bonus points if you put peanut butter on a frozen Oreo!
Wrong - Pranks are NOT fun. There’s no way Greystone girls would play pranks like those Camp Walden girls - and for good reason! They might be funny to watch in a movie, but usually just lead to hurt feelings in real life. Can you imagine if Laura Hollowell would’ve walked in that cabin instead of the Marvas?
Right - Camp teaches you transferable skills and the ability to think on your feet! Do Hallie and Annie use these skills for deceitful purposes? Okay, maybe so. But it’s pretty impressive that these two pull off switching places and having their parents reconnect - and over international borders, no less! Did the independence and problem-solving skills they gained at camp have anything to do with that? You have to imagine so!
Wrong - The Isolation Cabin definitely isn’t a thing. Camp is about the opposite of isolation - it’s a place driven by community! Meanwhile in quarantine, though, maybe I’ll start calling my house the Isolation Cabin…
Right - Camp is where you can make amazing life-long friends, even if at first it seems like you don’t have anything in common. Look at Hallie and Annie - at first, they didn’t like each other at all. From fencing to poker to a prank war, they were at odds at every turn. Once they took the time to get to know each other, though, they became great friends! And realized they were twins, of course. I’m incredibly fortunate to have made some great friends through my time at Greystone. Some of them would appear to have very little in common with me in the beginning, but the beauty of camp is that it brings people together - and not just people who are alike! Still haven’t found my long-lost twin, though.