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.