Many people have trouble making friends. I was always one of those people. I did not talk to anyone unless they talked to me first.

Everything changed once I went to AYC.

Initially, I had no interest in going to camp. Even after hearing all the good stories about the activities and fellowship, I thought, It can’t all be true.

At the Feast, some of the teenagers would tell me about the activities and ask, “Are you coming to camp this year?” I would say that I was interested, but was not actually planning on going.

When the announcement came out about attending AYC 2016, my father asked if I wanted to go. I told him I was not interested.

He then talked to me for quite some time. He said that if he could have gone to camp at my age, he would have loved to do it. He talked about his experiences going to camps in the past. Although the ones he went to were different from AYC, just hearing him talk about the fun he had helped me to make up my mind.

At that moment, I decided to apply for AYC.

Fast-forward to the day before we had to leave. Everyone in my family asked, “Are you ready for camp?” I said, “Yes,” but I really was not. I had never been by myself without my family for two weeks.

The next day, the host of my congregation drove my sister and me from my home in Tennessee. When we left, I felt fine. But the closer we got to Ohio, the more nervous I became.

When the host dropped us off and drove away, I realized I was on my own. My stomach started to churn. I saw the smiles on people’s faces. It seemed as though they all already knew each other. This made me feel even more alone.

One by one, though, the other teenagers came up to me and introduced themselves. This eased my nerves. As more and more campers arrived, they asked me my name and where I was from.

This started to change my mind about camp. Instead of being scared, I was more curious about what it was actually going to be like.

Then I started to make friends. One funny story about how one of the boys and I met took place at lunch. Both of our water bottles were empty, so I offered to fill his up.

When I brought it back to him, he, being from England, said, “Cheers.” I had never heard this expression before, so I laughed and we started to talk about our home countries. I never thought that a person with “Tennessee slang” would get along with a person with proper grammar from England—but we did!

Throughout camp, we played many different sports, which helped us build bonds of friendship. When you are on a team, you have a chance to talk to lots of people. It forces you to work closely with others you do not know.

Everyone’s attitudes at AYC were different from what someone would experience elsewhere. While we were playing softball on the field, no one got mad if someone did not know how to bat or catch well. Instead, they gave them tips and encouraged them to improve. Better players also stepped in to assist those who did not do as well.

Without the pressure of having to be the best, it was easier for us to bond with each other.

One of my favorite parts of camp was personal time. You would think this would be the most serious part of camp, with everyone taking showers and getting ready to go to bed. But it was the best time to laugh and grow closer as friends.

For example, one night, one of the administrators took us out through the woods to look at the stars. While we were watching, he ambushed us with silly string!

After that, we walked back through the woods without flashlights. It was totally dark.

I was not expecting such small opportunities like this to bond with others. Since this was a Church camp, I thought we would only have large, organized activities, and that everyone would be serious and keep to themselves. Seeing campers open up and have fun made me feel less nervous about trying to fit in.

Now that camp is over, I am glad I was able to be convinced to go. Looking back, I even wonder, What was I nervous about?

I realized that all the stories I was told about Ambassador Youth Camp were true: the food is great, the activities are fun, and you do make lots of friends!

It is normal to feel scared of meeting new people, just like I did. But if you feel that way, I encourage you to get over it and come to AYC.

You will not regret it!