In a world of selfies, Instagram likes and Facebook’s new “love” feature, people are putting more emphasis on documenting an experience than really enjoying the experience itself. We participate in an event (concert, party, sporting event, social gathering) but spend most of the time trying to get the best picture to generate enough likes to make us feel valued, heard and appreciated. As we view life through the camera lens, we are missing the big picture.

Since campers don’t have access to technology while at camp, the pictures that are taken of them are real snapshots of what they’re doing. They can’t crop, rotate and edit a picture before they post it and they can’t over analyze how they look or worry about if the camera got their best angle. Instead, the picture will show them sweaty, messy, busy and real. It will show the macaroni and cheese stain on their shirt, the crazy faces they make as they fly down the zip line, and the real, genuine look of accomplishment when they face a fear for the first time.

Posing for pictures at camp is beneficial for the campers’ self image. It helps campers become more confident about who they are without the need to fix, edit, change, crop or filter anything out. Kids get so wrapped up in social media and how they are portrayed to the world that they often forget to appreciate who they really are. Self confidence issues happen when teens begin to think that the perfect images displayed on their friends’ Facebook profiles are real life. They forget that for the one perfect picture that was posted, there were probably 50 others that were taken that didn’t make the cut.

Campers will also realize that without the instant gratification of Social Media likes, pictures are just that, pictures. When a photo is posted on Instagram, the amount of likes it generates give it a perceived value rather than letting the picture speak for itself. This can create self-esteem issues and detracts from the true purpose of pictures – to document memories that you’ll want to remember. Just because a picture doesn’t receive a lot of likes, doesn’t mean it isn’t an amazing snapshot of a great memory. The ability to remove yourself from the “like” culture and instead just enjoy what you’re doing is invaluable.

Promoting high self esteem for campers is something counselors take very seriously, but a lot of it happens naturally. Kids learn that it is okay to just be a kid, and that every moment doesn’t have to have the wittiest, funniest hashtag. When family and friends back home see pictures of kids at camp, they get a real snap shot into a summer full of real friends, real adventures, real laughs and real, life changing experiences. #nofilter.

When you go to summer camp, you don’t just walk away with good friends and fun memories —  you walk away a stronger, happier person.

Regardless of where they come from and who they are, summer camp is designed to teach campers powerful life skills: how to be a leader, how to be a team player, and even how to discover your talents. Every skill camp teaches has one core thing in common: mindfulness.

High ropes, tall payoff 

Take the high ropes course, for example: learning the skills necessary to advance to the top doesn’t happen in a day. In fact, it doesn’t even happen in a year. Campers may not notice it at first, since the process of climbing is so fun, but by the time they’re old enough to become counselors they’ve learned years worth of technical skills.

The best part: it didn’t even feel like work, because the process of learning was so fun!

Enjoying the process  

The same is true for virtually every camp activity. At school, it’s sometimes easy to lose track of the big picture. Sure, you want to know how to do math in the long run, but the process of learning multiplication tables and algebraic equations usually feels long and tedious.

Campers, however, know how to be patient and relish challenges. Even if it takes years to reach a goal, it’ll feel like no time at all if you enjoy the process!

Living in the moment 

Mindfulness isn’t just about learning skills, though. Mindfulness is about learning to be happy and appreciate the people around you.

Free from the stresses of school and the “making the deadline” feeling of endless homework, campers are free to truly unwind and enjoy the moment. Camp keeps a busy schedule to fit in so many games, but it doesn’t feel “busy,” because you’re always having fun and the counselors are there to help you stay on track.

Mindfulness and patience aren’t the same thing, but they play into each other very strongly. Disconnecting from the “right now” attitude of the fast-paced school environment has huge emotional benefits for children of all ages. (Truth be told, counselors benefit from this just as much as campers!) It’s not easy for everyone to turn off their phone and iPad and learn to live in the moment, but the experience is that much richer because everyone is being challenged.

Rather than living for tomorrow, live for today. Rather than worry about homework, enjoy feeling at home. Don’t sweat the small stuff — the big picture is, we’re all in this together!

The lake is central to life at camp. For many campers, it’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone says the words “summer camp.” For many more, it’s where they learned to swim in the first place!

Nothing feels like summer quite like diving off the dock with your friends after a hot afternoon having fun in the sun. Watching the sun set behind the trees, casting bright rainbow colors into the water — being by the waterfront is truly a magical feeling.

…But by far the best thing about the camp lake is that it’s something few campers get to experience at home. Especially for those of us coming from the big city, watersports like wakeboarding and canoeing are once-in-a-lifetime events. (Don’t worry, we’ll make sure everyone gets plenty of pictures!)

Here are just a few of the activities campers get to try out on the lake every summer:

Wakeboarding 

By far one of the highest-adrenaline sports at camp, wakeboarding is super safe — and super exhilarating! It takes practice to do tricks (or just stay upright!), but it’s well worth it. After a few summers, we know you’ll be a pro.

Canoeing & kayaking 

Something really special about time on the lake is how peaceful it is, and canoeing and kayaking are easily the best ways to get in touch with nature. In your own small craft, you’re completely in control. Plus, it’s a great way to learn the basics of paddling from our expert counselors. Maybe you’ll even hit the whitewater in the olympics one day — who knows!

Sailing 

Sailing is also a great way for campers to build teamwork skills, all while putting their math and science skills to good work!

Piloting a traditional sailboat requires communication, knot know-how, and a fair share of understanding about aerodynamics and weather. And let’s be honest: sailing is just plain stylish!

Good ol’ swimming and splashing!  

Last but not least, the number one activity that goes on at the camp lake is good ol’-fashioned swimming. Like every activity at camp, swimming is a chance to build a skill little by little. Whether or not you’re conscious of it, spending every summer out on the lake makes you a stronger swimmer. By the time you’re in high school, it’s a fair bet you’ll be lifeguard material!

Just like running on the trails is more exhilarating than running on a treadmill, splashing around in the lake is a million times more fun than doing laps in a pool. We’ll see you at the pier — don’t forget your bathing suit!

Once the last email has been received, the phone calls have been made and its officially official that we’re actually going to be spending the summer at America’s Finest Summer Camps, the preparation begins. Some of us may not even realize that these thoughts, behaviors and feelings are being thought, felt and acted out by hundreds of other fellow campers all over the country, sometimes at exactly the same time. The countdown for summer vacation takes over our calendars and conversations. We will know, at any given time, how many days (and sometimes hours) we have until school is out and summer fun begins.

Now, be honest. How many of the following things have you done to prepare for a summer away?

1. Shopping! As the first day of camp approaches, many of us print out and practically memorize the suggested packing guidelines. We haul our parents out to the mall to get supplies and new clothes. We find cool new clothes that are comfortable, because we know that camp isn’t a fashion show, and it’s way more important to be comfortable than stylish. We get shoes that’ll help us run faster and jump higher, and bathing suits that will see plenty of pool water, lake water and sun. Shopping is a fun way to get ready for a brand new experience at camp

1. Following! And of course we mean social media following! As campers, we check and re-check the camps website and social media sites to check for updates on camp. We stalk the photos to get ourselves excited about what we are about to see, and are hungry for any additional information we can get about camp before arriving. We also like to share pictures and posts of the camp we’re going to on our own social media, to let friends and family know about the amazing adventure that lies ahead.

1. Activity Selection– One of our favorite parts about preparing for camp is setting up our schedule and picking our activities. There are so many options; it can be stressful for a first time camper, but also very exciting. Reading through the lists of everything camp has to offer, and thinking about the reality that all of these things are open to try is truly exciting! It’s kind of like picking your classes for school, except harder, because it’s much easier to pick between PE and algebra than it is to pick between kickboxing and water skiing! Being part of the planning process and picking out the activities that interest us the most makes going to camp feel more real, and is one of the main ways we get (and stay) excited about spending the summer at camp.

1. Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster– We may hate to admit it, but there is always a small part of us that worries about camp. We worry we won’t meet new friends (literally impossible) and we worry about being away from home. But in the same thought, we are giddy with excitement about trying something new and being somewhere different. Then some of us go back to being nervous, while others stay in a constant state of impatience mixed with joy. It’s a wild ride, waiting for camp to start, and any and every combination of emotions is normal and ok. Some of us cry when our parents drive away, others are already doing cannonballs into the pool before their parents say goodbye. Some of us are ready to go home at the end, others wish the summer went on forever. We all go through some sort of emotional preparation for camp, and it is a natural part of the camp prep process.

As campers, we share a bond that we will never share with anyone else. And although we all experience camp in a different and unique way, there are some things that are just universal. It is these things, these commonalities, that remind us that although we all come from different places and backgrounds, that for these few weeks, we are all campers and in turn, we are all family.

Mail time at summer camp is a meaningful time for campers and counselors alike. The experience of receiving a postcard or letter from home hearkens back to a time before iPhones, iPads, and the Internet. This is camping, after all!

What’s more, it teaches us that all good things come eventually, and those who are patient and thoughtful get the greatest gift of all: mementos of love from friend and family.

Digital detox doesn’t mean total disconnect 

Going from SnapChat to “SnailMail” can be a challenging transition for some campers, but it’s a transition that offers huge rewards: and not because there’s anything “wrong” with texting your friends. It’s just that once you’ve experienced the joy of paper mail, it makes you appreciate the convenience of digital mail all the more.

Spending time away from digital connections doesn’t mean you have to disconnect entirely. It just means you have a little more “me” time during the day to spend making new friends, exploring new activities, and generally enjoying your down time from the stresses of school.

Communication is a gift  

As a culture, we often forget that communication is a gift. We look forward to receiving things from one another — it reminds us that we care, and gives us a chance to show what we love about each other. That’s why our counselors always carve out time in camper’s schedules for them to write letters home to family and friends.

Even if you just fill it with scribbled drawings or send cards that say “hi!” and nothing else, trust us — you’ll be thrilled to have letters when they come, and you’ll be even more thrilled to have them when you’re back at school.

Something to remember us by 

Life moves fast, and the brief few weeks spent at summer camp each year will blow by quicker than you can imagine. Photos, postcards, and letters will one day be all you have to remember these golden days spent with your best friends in the world.

Camp changes us into leaders and adventurers, but at the end of the day there’s something else that makes camp important: the fact that it’s just plain fun. So, treasure those letters from home. Be sure to drop a card in the mail to let the folks back home know you’re thinking of them.

One day, when camp is a distant memory, those mementos of your summer will mean the world to you.