The big yellow bus I am in approaches a campsite I have never seen before. Rocks pop under the tires of the vehicle as it winds down a rough, gravel road. The smell of green trees and fresh air drifts through the windows.

When we stop, my stomach begins doing flip flops as I come to a startling realization: I do not know anyone here but my sister.

This is how I felt my first year at camp. Yet I decided to view making new friends as a challenge.

After a little bit of nervousness, I started to create lasting relationships—and by the end of camp, I had a bunch of best buddies! Along the way, I learned a few “friend making” techniques I will share with you.

One of the easiest ways to make friends is to spend time with your cabin mates. This year, I bunked with a few others my age. When I first arrived, I saw and heard campers talking and unpacking. In my mind, I considered them friends waiting to be created. And I was right! We learned about each other quickly just by spending time together.

Then, on the second day of camp, as we headed to breakfast, we heard someone yell, “Stop!” We turned around and staring straight at us was a yellow and brown turtle. We named the turtle Franky. We thought it would be neat to name our cabin the “Franky Turtles.”

From then on, we were the Franky Turtles. And each time we heard one of the counselors call out in the morning, “Wake up, Franky Turtles!” we smiled and laughed.

Another way I made friends was during sports and other activities. One day we played volleyball. When we first entered the sports complex, we were all pretty quiet. But after practicing drills, the building was rattling with noise! Everyone was laughing together and cheering for one another.

The following week, we played soccer. This required us to cooperate with one another and communicate to have success on the field. Since it was brutally hot outside, the cheering we heard from other campers and staff was invaluable. The temperature made it hard to keep running across the field, but once you heard their encouragement, you dug down deep and pushed through the heat! Participating in this experience also helped us strengthen our friendships.

Then there were speeches! During these, several campers said they were shy when it came to making new friends. They told us that if we approached them to start a conversation, then they would respond in a positive manner. I thought doing so would be a great opportunity to make new friends. So I sought out the girls who said they were shy in their speeches and started conversations with them. Once we got to know each other, we could not stop talking!

Finally, what I think is the easiest way to make new friends is to smile. A smile is a simple way to show others that you are friendly and approachable. As a personal goal, I try to smile all the time.

At AYC, smiling made a big difference. When I smiled at people at camp, they smiled back and we started to talk. Smiling makes people feel more comfortable about opening up to you and conversing.

I made many friends this year, and I plan on making more next year using the same techniques. After all, you can never have too many friends!