Have you ever had one of those friends that you can just look at and you know what she is going to say? You don’t even have to speak a word? I have a friend like that who I only get to see once a year at AYC.

I attended the first AYC in 2007 and have not been able to stay away since. That year, I was a shy 15-year-old girl who was scared to meet youth I had never known before. By the end of the first day, I knew all my fears had been unfounded.

Many people, especially those in the world, find it hard to believe that I could have so many close friends that I’ve spent only a mere week with—not to mention that they are on the other side of the world! For youth in the Church, it’s really not that hard to believe at all, and many fellow campers share this experience. The people you meet at camp are the kind of friends you actually have things in common with—people you can talk to about trials and tribulations, and can learn from, grow with, and just have a ball. I will admit to crying as I hopped on the plane to return home my first year, worried these friendships wouldn’t last, while missing everyone already.

After my first year, I took advantage of modern technology, and kept in contact with fellow campers through instant messaging, writing longer emails than ever before, with phone calls never far between. Using these, I developed my friendships and even got a best friend out of a person I had shared only a few words with during camp.

This ability to have friends, despite the lack of physical presence, motivated me throughout the year, provided encouragement and reminded me that while I must be different from those I was surrounded by day in and day out, there were others out there going through the exact same thing as I am.

June 2008 rolled around and I waited with eager anticipation to spend an extended two weeks with friends whom I thought about daily. This camp was a chance to strengthen old friendships, but also with the longer camp, there were many new faces, and thus many more friends to make. Again, friendships rapidly developed, surprising even those who witnessed them. When you share a cabin with someone for two weeks, you’re definitely going to form a bond!

One of the best things about AYC is the relationships you share with other people. Unlike those in the world who form cliques, at AYC, everyone is family. Everyone eagerly sits down and talks, enjoying every moment together.

As the 2008 camp drew to a close, we shed many tears and shared email addresses and phone numbers. As sad as it was to leave, you knew you would stay in touch. Immediately, we began the 54-week countdown to the next AYC.

So here we are again. We’ve made new friends, formed memories and together we all tried to change ourselves to become the people God wants us to be. Our friendships, for those of us who have already experienced a camp or two together, are at the point that we can say the same things at the same time and finish each other’s sentences. Only when we are together do we really feel comfortable sharing things and just being ourselves.

At AYC, we know that if we do something silly or step out of our comfort zone, we won’t be made fun of.

For those unable to return, I know their friendship and support are still there. Whenever I do see them next, I know we can just pick up right where we left off.

Fellow campers agree that making friends at AYC is by far easier than making friends with those in the world, and definitely more beneficial as we grow together with those of like mind. You learn how to have real conversations and really get to know your friends.

If there’s something I’ve learned about making friends that will last, it’s this three step process: (1) Be friendly. No one person is more special than another and we all need each other to make it through the storm. (2) Be willing to act silly. It opens you up to people and shows you to be welcoming. (3) Come to AYC 2010!

If you follow these, you will make friends—the kind of friends you can climb a giant ladder with, even when you’re afraid of heights, just because you’re with them. The kind you can do the Tootie-Tah (a ridiculous dance done by youth that has become a tradition at AYC) while standing in a canoe and going down gentle rapids, laughing yourself silly. The kind that when people see you together they just shake their heads and laugh. They’re the kind that will last forever.