10 ways everyone can totally tell you went to summer camp

  1. 11755097_10152937395001960_2731866731034636109_nYou want to play outside no matter the weather

The rain-or-shine attitude is something that sets summer campers apart. After all, rock climbing and waterskiing waits for no one — you sure aren’t going to miss out on the time of your life just because of a spring shower!

 

  1. You always want to work as a team on school projects

Summer camp is a crash-course in teamwork and quickly turns even the most introverted personalities into leaders and team players. From mealtime to game time to singing around the fire, campers do everything together and quickly discover that the more you collaborate, the more fun you get to have.

 

  1. You’re always singing and clowning around

“Heeeeey burittooooo! Guac-a-mol-e cinnamon twist!” You can take the camper out of camp, but you can never take the camp songs out of the camper. Repeat-after-me melodies are a tradition as old as camp itself that turn goofy rhymes into songs that get stuck in your head forever — counselors and campers alike.

 

  1. You don’t mind getting a little dirty

Summer camp is all about having fun in the great outdoors, and that means running around in the woods, jumping in the lake and getting grass stains on your jeans. Especially for campers coming from the big city, getting comfortable with mud, bugs and insects means getting out of your comfort zone… and having a blast while you’re at it.

 

 

  1. You can totally identify that bug

Bugs are everywhere, and for those that like science and nature they’re one of the best parts of camp. Who hasn’t tried to keep a grasshopper or katydid as a pet in a shoebox? As a summer camper you’ve learned that bugs, along with many other scary things in life, are only scary if you let your imagination get the better of you.

 

  1. You get along with people who are different from you

Diversity is strength, and summer camp is one of the most diverse places around. You never know who’s going to be in your core group, and no matter where everyone comes from you all have to work together both in and out of activities.

 

  1. You love to send “snail mail”

Just like the owl post over breakfast in Harry Potter, mail time at camp is exciting for everyone! Parents love getting updates about all the fun activities, and campers get a little piece of home to remind them that everything will be just fine. After camp, how will you keep in touch with your new best friends? Summer campers have besties all over the map and get postcards from their new friends for years to come.

 

  1. You know how to start a campfire (and roast a perfect marshmallow)

Not everyone knows how to start a fire in the digital era, but as a camper you know a thing or two about getting that tinder to snap, crackle and pop. Chances are you even have a great campfire story or two! (But not any that are too scary, or course…)

 

  1. You know how to have fun no matter whether you win or lose

Camp is full of games, and summer campers learn to have a good time whether they’re on the team that wins or the team that doesn’t. For you, it’s playing the game and trying your hardest that’s most fun, and competition just adds a little bit of good-natured incentive. Summer campers are always easy to spot on team sports — they are gracious regardless of the scoreboard and always smiling.

 

  1. You want to be a camp counselor when you “grow up”

The number one sign of a lifelong summer camper is when you’ve been going to camp for so many seasons that you become too old to be a camper — so you become a counselor! Being a camp counselor is one of the best jobs in the world, and a chance to share all your years of camp wisdom with the next generation. You’re more than just a summer camper. You’re a role model.