Once upon a time, there was a group of girls. Some were shy and attending their first camp, while others were outgoing, having been to summer camp before. Experienced campers helped new ones come out of their shells, and everyone enjoyed the experience tremendously.

But this is not a “once upon a time” story­—it really happened to me!

The first day of camp was nerve-racking, but mostly because it was my first AYC. Upon arriving, I thought, How can I ever get up the courage to talk to anyone? I am usually not very shy, but as soon as I stepped foot onto the campsite, my heart stopped at the sight of so many teens from around the world. I had no idea where to begin.

How did I get over my initial apprehension? First, I had to overcome the fear inside myself. I did this by pushing my reservations aside and starting a conversation with someone. After talking to one girl, and then another, I soon could not stop talking at all!

One of the best things about AYC is that you can act like yourself and no one will make fun of you. This is much different from school and elsewhere, where most people feel embarrassed when they act like themselves.

What about friendships in the world versus friendships at AYC?

First of all, a camp friendship can last forever. Also, you can trust anyone at camp, as they all have your best interests in mind. Nobody judges you if you stumble and fall or make a mistake during an activity—everyone is supportive and always cheers you on!

While at AYC, I made many memories with my new friends. One of these occurred during whitewater rafting, in which a phrase was coined, “True friends help each other out at Dimple Rapids.” This was the toughest stretch of the river while rafting.

For me, this saying means that when in a rocky situation, or in any tough position, a true friend will help you no matter what. When we were riding through Dimple Rapids, a very difficult rapid, my raft tipped over! Thankfully, nobody got hurt, but it was a scary and interesting experience.

Another fond memory was made during the Linsly Outdoor Center high ropes course. During the time on the high ropes course (a series of obstacles that requires you to be strapped into a harness and complete physical activities while 30 feet above the ground), many teens were scared, while others were more confident and not frightened of the heights.

When it was my turn to climb the ladder and step onto a log hanging 30 feet above the ground, all of a sudden, I was very nervous. Yet everyone cheered me on until I felt confident I could finish. I am happy to report that I survived!

I also will always remember the last day of camp. As we said goodbye, tears streamed down everyone’s cheeks because we did not want to go our separate ways. We wanted to stay together like a family forever!

Camp was the best thing that ever happened to me! I will never forget my new friendships, and I really cannot wait until next year to see all my friends again.

My AYC experience—and all the amazing friendships I built—was truly a dream come true!