I think that every camp around the state of New York and Pennsylvania had their parent visiting day today. I’m not kidding. The traffic was ridiculous and everyone I spoke with this past week told me that they were visiting their children at camp this weekend.
Since this was the first time that my husband and I have sent our son to sleep-away camp, we didn’t really know what to expect. My son wrote to us and told us that he needed batteries, chocolate, money and his baseball bat. He also requested that we bring up a deli sandwich because the “food stinks!”
Before we left we made sure all his requests were filled. We didn’t know that we needed a blanket for a picnic, a cooler for water and sodas and other food, and we didn’t realize that there weren’t going to be planned activities. We thought that we would get there and the camp director would tell us… now it’s time for parent/child baseball, or now it’s time to go in the lake, etc. I was actually grateful that we had the opportunity to walk around and “hang out.”
The day was pleasant. My son was so happy to see us as we were of him. Three weeks seemed like a long time and it was just great to see his smiling face. (He also grew another inch and is now taller than my daughter and me!)
We toured the camp. My daughter had never seen the camp and was very impressed. It really is a gorgeous place — rolling hills, lots of trees and everything — state of the art. (Not like when I went to camp where we had outdoor latrines and showers.)
We got to the camp around 10ish and stayed until 4pm. When it was time to leave, it was so hard. We all wanted to just stay together… My son drove with us down the hill, and my husband pulled over the car to say goodbye.
“Let me give you the biggest hug ever,” I said to him as I stepped out of the car.
It was tough on all of us to leave but just knowing that he is happy and having a great time makes it all worth it…
