A million thoughts flew through my head as I stepped off the bus (affectionately known as the Lady Slipper) that collected me from the airport: What will it be like staying away from my parents and my home for two weeks? Will there be many bugs around the campsite? Will I know anyone? Will it be easy to make new friends?

Nervous tension gripped my body, but it did not last long. I soon found myself making friends and adjusting to camp life.

Life at camp was not the same as home. Most differences were good, but one was not.

Camping in the middle of a state park means that there were spiders, insects and mice around the campsite. I preferred these little creatures to stay outside where they belonged, but it did not always work out that way.

Overall, however, I did not have much time to think about home as every hour of the day was filled with activities and fun. Some of them were volleyball, soccer, softball, whitewater rafting, canoeing, swimming and dancing. In between, the delicious food we ate provided the fuel we needed to keep going.

The portion of camp that I learned the most from was Girls Club. The Tabletopics and speech sessions built up my confidence to speak in front of an audience. From stories I had heard before camp, I knew that I would have to give two speeches, an “Icebreaker” (at least two minutes) and an “Interesting Experience” (five minutes).

I cannot say that I eagerly looked forward to these days. Yet I took the opportunity to increase my confidence. It helped knowing that no one would laugh at me, even if I made a mistake.

AYC was two weeks full of learning experiences. During volleyball, I learned how to spike, set and serve. During dancing, I learned the “Electric Slide” as well as how to waltz. While canoeing, I learned the importance of balance so as not to capsize (even with friends constantly splashing)!

Camp would not have been the same without the lectures that were set aside for teens. The ministry taught us principles that we could apply at camp and at home.

Trust me, no matter how many daunting thoughts you may have before your first camp, you do not want to miss this extraordinary chance to grow!