What I'm Going to Miss Most About Summer Camp - Teen Tuesday Post by Rebecca Elspas

Teen Tuesday
by Rebecca Elspas, Teen Blogger

It's already August! Where has the summer gone? That's what everyone is thinking, I bet. I know it's on my mind right now. As regular readers know for the last six weeks I've been working at a sleepaway summer camp near San Diego. However, exactly a week from today I will be going home. Don't get me wrong, I miss all the comforts of home like my mom's cooking and I can't wait to be in my own room again. At the same time, though, when I leave this beautiful area I know I'm not only going to miss my friends -- both old and new, fellow counselors and campers.

L to R: My sister, 2 friends & me, all camp counselors 

When I head back to smoggy Los Angeles, I'm also going to miss all the nature and fresh air I've been enjoying for the past month and a half and the camp memories it all created. Keep in mind that it is very hot and sunny here most of the time in July and August. The mountains above San Diego are especially dry right now and the hills are still scarred from the tragic fire that burned here for weeks in 2003. In fact, even though ten years have passed since that massive blaze, the landscape is only now starting to come back to life.

California wild flowers, MommyBlogExpert.com

The hills near camp, MommyBlogExpert.com

One day this summer I was really surprised when out of the blue it suddenly became very overcast and a few minutes later, started drizzling. Then we heard a loud boom of thunder and saw a bolt of lightning flash, immediately followed by a huge stream of heavy rain pouring down. So in our t-shirts and shorts my friends and I ran joyfully around camp in the lukewarm summer rain. We were yelling and ended up dancing in the rain because we were so happy that we finally would have some grass growing in our grassless camp!

Storm clouds, MommyBlogExpert.com

From the night nature here -- like the raccoons who scare us by coming near our bunks at night, the random bat that lives in one of the rooms, and the starry planetarium-like sky-- to the day nature that includes blue jays, cottontail rabbits and crazy squirrels prancing around all day, it's going to be hard going back to urban life at home. But hey, L.A. still has nature too, right?

Being outside so much every day among the hills, trees and wildlife over the past weeks has been amazing. I just hope I don't suffer from too much nature-withdrawal come this time next week when I return to the city. But then again, I'll have all these fond camp memories of wild creatures, mountains, grass and dancing in the rain to draw some positive energy from!

New grass after the rain, MommyBlogExpert.com

Shoutout to all other teens who are heading home from working at summer camps this summer!

Comment & Connect
Have a question for me about my back to nature camp experience? Even better, I hope you'll leave a comment on this post or Tweet me @RebElspas and share some of your own summer experiences outdoors. If you're not already, I invite you to follow me on Twitter and on Pinterest.

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