Returning home after camp is always hard. It’s an adjustment back to the way things were. For me, it meant a return to my apartment for the first time since May. The return home wasn’t without change: in addition to my apartment being just a little bit dustier, I made the decision to adopt one of the camp kittens.
GFC’s farm program is a highlight for many of our campers and staff members. Under the watchful supervision of our farm specialists, campers spent time with puppies, kittens, chicks, and goats this summer. Our animals come from a variety of backgrounds and some are even able to be adopted at the end of the summer. As the summer came to a close, our two kittens were in need of a home… so a fellow staff member and I took the plunge. As I’ve enjoyed my time back in my apartment and gotten to know my new furry friend, I’ve found myself pondering what camp was like for her. What was camp from the perspective of one of the kittens?
- She heard counselors talking about the latest episode of Marvel’s Loki. Watching new episodes quickly became a semi-official staff gathering Wednesday evenings and turned and brought friends together. The show also provided the inspiration for her name, “Sylvie.”
- She met so many different people. From the Veemers who loved petting her to Lucy and Dallas (our farm specialists) taking care of them. Camp is a diverse community filled with people from all corners of the country and she got to meet so many of them.
- Most of-all, she felt the love. From the pets and snuggles, to the cool air from the air conditioning, the physical manifestations were the present. Both she and her sister Sage have loving homes with GFC staff members.
Camp changes lives; we don’t leave the front gates the same person we were entering. I’m overjoyed that for me one of those changes is a new furry friend who I wouldn’t have met without camp.
-Ethan Lane-Miller