It's Over...

Camp that is. Eight weeks of waking up early, teaching four and five lessons everyday then having to sit and guard in the afternoon or give private lessons and then returning home at 4:15 to get up and do it all over again the next day is over. Arguing with kids and persuading kids to get in the water on a cold day or just in general, arguing with counselors who don't do their job, arguing with coworkers who don't do their job is over. The games, the songs, the chants, the hugs, the excitement at the smallest of redundancies, and kids yelling my name because they are so excited to see me is over. And I already miss it.

This summer, as you might have guessed from previous entries, has been the best in recent history. I loved my job more than I can express. It brought me back to the days when I went to camp as a camper. The excitement at the prospect of being able to swim all day, or the urge to do the biggest cannon ball I can muster, and having that crush on that one camp counselor (and he knows who he is) all came rushing back to me in the past eight weeks.

These kids made me laugh, laugh harder and want to go back to being a kid. Saying goodbye to them today was one of the hardest things I have done all summer. Surprisingly I was ok. Until I saw Froggy, one of my older kids, who came up behind me, and said my name in this quiet little voice and when I turned around and saw the tears in his eyes, that was it for me. He was so sad to be leaving camp and as I hugged him I knew exactly how he felt.

I said in all my letters how much I enjoyed each of my kids, and how much fun I had this summer, and that I couldn't wait until next summer. I meant every word of it, no matter how cliche it might have sounded.

Honestly, truly, and from the bottom of my heart, I can't wait for next summer.