The holiday season is a time of year that brings people together. Families that are dispersed across the country travel thousands of miles to reunite, and to share in the simple joy of each other’s presence. There is something both treasured and nostalgic about returning, each year, to the company of family and friends and sharing the same feeling of love, with the same people, year after year. If you have ever been a part of one of these reunions, you’ll know there is no other situation where people truly celebrate simply being together, after an extended time apart, in quite the same way.
Unless, of course, you’ve been to camp. Camp is a truly special place because it is a place of togetherness. Yes, camp offers phenomenal activities, beautiful landscapes, and age-old traditions. But perhaps the most incredible part of camp is the fact that it is the place where a camp family comes together.
Campers and counselors spend their winters scattered across the country and the world – from New York to New Zealand, from Boca to Bogota, from Scarsdale to Shanghai to Sydney. And yet, each year, thousands make the journey to the beautiful state of Maine to share in the magic of another summer at camp. We make cultural and geographic leaps and bounds in order to reconnect, and in order to be together. We share songs and memories, and look forward each summer to forging new friendships and creating more unforgettable experiences.
When you speak to a camper as their final summer comes to a close, listen to the things that they say they will miss. I have never heard a camper, through tears, discuss how much they will miss soccer intercamps. I have never heard a camper cry about getting to be the lead in a camp musical one final time, or firing one more pot in the kiln. The message is always a version of the same thought process: camp has been a second home, and I will forever cherish the people who were here with me.
This truly exemplifies what makes the spirit of camp so beautiful. Camp is not a series of activities or a list of songs – it is not defined by the program, and it does not exist to carry on traditions. Camp is about more than beautiful facilities, more than Color War, and even more than the confidence and independence we develop during our summers. Camp is about sharing an experience with wonderful people whose lives become inextricably linked with or own. Camp is beautiful, and it’s beautiful because it brings us together.
Maine Camp Experience would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a wonderful start to the New Year!
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Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools
You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our website.
Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child? Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks). It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates. Then you can research these camps in more depth.
Next, be sure to contact our Maine Camp Guide, Laurie to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.
Talk to Laurie, our Maine Campcierge®, about choosing the right camp for your child and what to do in Maine.
Call 877-92-MAINE
