Camp is my favorite place
6 months. 26 weeks. 182 days. 4,368 hours. 262,080 minutes.
The time I have spent at OSRUI has been the best time of my life. OSRUI is a Jewish overnight summer camp in Oconomowoc Wisconsin, and I have been going there since I was 8 years old. I’ve been back every single year since then, and I my love for camp has only grown and gotten stronger. I truly believe that there is no other place in the world that makes me happier or makes me feel more at home. It is undoubtedly my favorite place.
I remember my first day at OSRUI as if it was yesterday. My family and I drove into the entrance to 600 Lac La Belle Dr. and rolled down our windows. The air was clean and natural and the smell of wood and nature entrenched the car. In the distance, I could hear the laughter and shrieks of joy from campers reuniting with their best friends. The song leaders were all playing their guitars and they welcomed the campers to another fantastic summer. I was nervous because it would be my first time away from my parents for two whole weeks but as soon as I saw everyone's’ smiles, all I could feel was excitement. Little did I know that this was the start of one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.
The things that camp does can only be described as magic. There are no phones or any other communication devices allowed at camp. The only way to communicate to the outside world was through the mail. Some people think that it is crazy or even straight up torture to spend a summer without a phone, but I think otherwise. The amount of time teenagers spend on their phones is unbelievable. Sometimes it feels almost as if our entire world revolves around how many Instagram followers we have, how many likes we got on our last post, or keeping our snapchat streaks. Camp provides an environment where kids can leave all of that behind and just live in the moment. The transformation that occurs is almost unreal.
Nobody cares about looking good. We all wear clothes that we don’t care about, nobody wears makeup, and that allows our true selves to come out. At school, there are the “popular” kids and then there are the kids who are less “popular” at camp all of that is dropped. Everyone at camp are friends and many of those friends turn into a second family. The connections and trust that are built at camp are extremely special. I have had the same core group of guys in my cabin since I was 8 years. We have grown together, matured together, and have become better together.
OSRUI is more than just a place where I go to have fun or just another Jewish camp. It is much more. It is a place where people can discover their true selves. It is a place where you can escape from the outside world and all the pressure that comes with it. It is a place where people embrace you with open arms no matter your differences. I have learned so much from OSRUI. It has developed me as a leader, a team player, and has led me to become a better a person.
OSRUI is my favorite place because although it is small and most people don’t even know what it is, it still has managed to impact my life in so many ways. OSRUI is my home and nothing will ever replace it.
The time I have spent at OSRUI has been the best time of my life. OSRUI is a Jewish overnight summer camp in Oconomowoc Wisconsin, and I have been going there since I was 8 years old. I’ve been back every single year since then, and I my love for camp has only grown and gotten stronger. I truly believe that there is no other place in the world that makes me happier or makes me feel more at home. It is undoubtedly my favorite place.
I remember my first day at OSRUI as if it was yesterday. My family and I drove into the entrance to 600 Lac La Belle Dr. and rolled down our windows. The air was clean and natural and the smell of wood and nature entrenched the car. In the distance, I could hear the laughter and shrieks of joy from campers reuniting with their best friends. The song leaders were all playing their guitars and they welcomed the campers to another fantastic summer. I was nervous because it would be my first time away from my parents for two whole weeks but as soon as I saw everyone's’ smiles, all I could feel was excitement. Little did I know that this was the start of one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.
The things that camp does can only be described as magic. There are no phones or any other communication devices allowed at camp. The only way to communicate to the outside world was through the mail. Some people think that it is crazy or even straight up torture to spend a summer without a phone, but I think otherwise. The amount of time teenagers spend on their phones is unbelievable. Sometimes it feels almost as if our entire world revolves around how many Instagram followers we have, how many likes we got on our last post, or keeping our snapchat streaks. Camp provides an environment where kids can leave all of that behind and just live in the moment. The transformation that occurs is almost unreal.
Nobody cares about looking good. We all wear clothes that we don’t care about, nobody wears makeup, and that allows our true selves to come out. At school, there are the “popular” kids and then there are the kids who are less “popular” at camp all of that is dropped. Everyone at camp are friends and many of those friends turn into a second family. The connections and trust that are built at camp are extremely special. I have had the same core group of guys in my cabin since I was 8 years. We have grown together, matured together, and have become better together.
OSRUI is more than just a place where I go to have fun or just another Jewish camp. It is much more. It is a place where people can discover their true selves. It is a place where you can escape from the outside world and all the pressure that comes with it. It is a place where people embrace you with open arms no matter your differences. I have learned so much from OSRUI. It has developed me as a leader, a team player, and has led me to become a better a person.
OSRUI is my favorite place because although it is small and most people don’t even know what it is, it still has managed to impact my life in so many ways. OSRUI is my home and nothing will ever replace it.
Nice post! It was cool to read about this camp that means so much to you. I don't go to any consistent summer camps that I've grown up with, and this post makes summer camp sound rather romantic and magical. I liked your reflection on the first time you went to the camp. I think that little story illustrated the start of your relationship with this camp, and what it has come to mean to you. I suggestion I might have is to see whether or not the last two sentences, in their own paragraph, can be combined with the paragraph before it. As is, it seems a little detached, and prompt-orientated. It does answer the prompt, but I think it could be more smooth and effective if it were more organically included in a broader concluding paragraph.
ReplyDeleteI always knew you had a deep connection with the OSRUI camp (specifically from the camp t-shirts and the fact that you met your long-term girlfriend there). This essay does a good job of illustrating why you love OSRUI so much and what makes it special to YOU. I do agree with Emma's point about the conclusion though . It seems a bit forced and I could definitely be weaved into the second-to-last paragraph a little better. How, you ask? Idk! Other than the conclusion, this is a very nice essay.
ReplyDeleteNice essay! It felt really genuine to read and I could really tell how much this camp means to you. I like that you had a lot of reflection and some narration, but I would be interested to hear about another specific circumstance during your camp time that has stood out to you or impacted you in some way. I also agree with the above posts about the conclusion; it felt a little abrupt and I think you could maybe you could expand it. Besides that I thought it flowed really nicely and was fun to read!
ReplyDeleteIt's really clear how much OSRUI means to you from all the connections and friendships you've formed over the years. I don't participate in any yearly summer long camps, and this essay kind of makes me feel like I've missed out all these years. The paragraph that described your first moment at camp was filled with detail and imagery that helped me visualize your experience. I think if you included one experience which it was the most memorable to you and why/how affected you it would better support your claim as to why the camp was "magical". Great post!
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