“Do you have paper money in India?” “Do you drive cars?” “Do animals freely roam the streets?”

Fellow campers asked me these funny and sometimes outrageous questions six years ago when I first arrived in the United States. Since I was the only camper from India, other teenagers basically thought of me as an alien.

Looking back now, I smile and even burst out laughing thinking about these experiences, reminiscing about how my accent and culture made introductions hilarious and memorable.

Camp has changed me over the course of six years—from a nervous 13-year-old far from home to an 18-year-old whose entire life is ahead of him.

I was asked to give my time at AYC a fitting ending by writing this article, but truthfully speaking, all the words in the world could not give AYC the proper goodbye it deserves.

But I must start at the beginning.

As I got off the airplane in 2011, I looked around nervously and excitedly at all that was going on around me. I snapped pictures of everything—even to the point that airport security had to ask me to stop doing so. (At the time, I did not realize that it was not allowed.)

Everything was so different from India. There were automatic doors! Strange clothes! Fancy tech gadgets! Tattoos! Even the way everyone spoke was a culture shock.

I did not know what to expect when I arrived at camp. I was surprised to find that many people instantly introduced themselves and started talking to me. Differences quickly disappeared. I felt at home and loved. All my nervousness faded away, and I thought, Wait a minute, people actually like me!

Many gave me nicknames, such as “Abi,” “Abu” and, the best one ever, “BEEF.” This name was actually given to me because of the fact that I cannot get beef in India and I went absolutely bonkers seeing all the beef in America!

The two weeks in 2011 went by too quickly, and I felt truly heartbroken in the end. I would not see my friends, my only true friends whom I dearly loved, for a full year.

Back home, it quickly became apparent that texting, emailing or even Skype could not really compensate for the face-to-face conversations that had occurred at camp.

In India, I really do not have many friends and do not like talking to many people because of how they act. But at camp, with God’s youth around me, it feels as though I am living at a time in which God’s kingdom is fully established across the globe.

Since that first year, the experiences I have had each year are almost too many to recount. While camps have come and gone, the memories I have made each year are mine to cherish forever.

One of the most amazing opportunities I had at AYC was during my second to last year as a camper when I was given the chance to give a speech at Headquarters in front of the entire congregation. To speak at the same lectern where God’s apostle delivers his messages sometimes makes me tear up because of the amazing opportunity it presented to me. At the same time, the sheer privilege of being able to do so humbled me and gave me a sense of accomplishment.

I was told that I was selected to speak because of how AYC had shaped me into a stronger, more confident person. To me, a part of that was due to all the speeches I had given at previous camps, which helped me become a better speaker. The fact that everyone at camp and Headquarters was so loving, caring and willing to listen made me come out of my shell and speak with confidence.

After I gave my speech, which was about how my mother survived a bomb blast and a terrorist attack back home, all the campers congratulated me. They looked at me with a sense of respect that my family had been through something so threatening.

My final year, AYC 2016, was one of the best camps ever, mostly because the boys finally beat the girls in soccer after three years of defeat. I call it “graduating redemption”! This was an accomplishment for me since my favorite sport is soccer and I so desperately wanted to win.

Over the course of six years, I built many long-lasting friendships—true friendships that actually mattered. The bonds forged at AYC made my time there so very special.

When camp is over, of all things—sports, food or activities—everyone misses the friends they make the most. These friendships have helped me stay true to God’s Way.

AYC has taught me respect, hard work, perseverance, commitment and, most important, obedience to God.

In the end, I would like to say this. For those who plan on attending camp, do not hesitate. It will change your life.

As I return home, I want to thank you, AYC, for making me into who I am today: strong, confident, loving and very, very sore!