7 Signs You Went To A Southern Summer Camp

For some Southern kids, summertime means hitting the road for family vacations. Others head to all-star sports programs. Some like to knock out that summer reading list or can't wait for swim team practices every day.

And then there are the camp kids.

What they don't tell parents about sending their children to camp in the summer is that camp kids eventually become camp adults, and we all know them. If you've never heard a camp adult wax poetic about his or her time spent at summer camp, are you even from the South? I write this with the privilege of being a camp kid. Once the summer camp bug bit me, I had to go back, and I was lucky enough that my parents financially and emotionally supported it. Grown-up camp kids are everywhere, y'all, just waiting for the next person to ask them if, when, and where they went to summer camp so they can spin a yarn about when they won the mountain biking competition or asked someone to dance at the rec hall for the first time. Many of them credit summer camp with teaching life lessons and responsibilities that they carried into adulthood (Who hasn't used a camp anecdote in a job interview?). Though I'm writing from personal experience, I also sought the wisdom of the other Southern Living summer camp adults, of which there are plenty. We all went to different camps around the South, and yet, every single person echoed the same messages. Those counselors must've done something right! 

You Love Sending And Receiving Handwritten Notes

I can only imagine how much more prevalent this lesson is now than when we were kids. Sending and receiving mail felt decidedly grown-up, not to mention we had to learn how to actually address envelopes and write letters properly, including a formal greeting and signature at the end. Remembering how to use the written word, sans emojis, to describe what you've been up to and how you feel is so important. Camp mail definitely prepared us for our futures in expert thank-you note writing, too.

You Make Your Bed Every Morning And Keep A Tidy Home

Does the word "inspection" make you stand up a little straighter? You just might be a camp kid. Sure, parents teach their children to clean their rooms at home. But there's not an entire cabin of kids depending on each other to get the place spotless for camp perks. I guarantee any child that goes to camp will return knowing how to make up their bed (without sloppy corners!), sweep, dust, and more. Not only is this amazing news for the parents out there, but it's also comforting to know camp kids won't be messy roommates in the future. The cabins weren't the only thing that had to be spick and span, though: No one would dare leave their dishes behind on a table at the cafeteria or a stray ice cream cone wrapper at the canteen. No one.

You’re Efficient At Packing

Do you consistently over-or under-pack before trips? You probably weren't a camp kid. When you're going away for weeks at a time without room for extraneous items and clothing, you have to be organized. And that's just the half of it. Once you actually arrive at camp, you need to utilize what you did bring in a smart manner. Laundry doesn't go out every day, and you don't want to be caught going to horseback without a clean pair of jeans to wear. Don't forget your red, white, and blue Fourth of July outfit, though! There's always room for that.

You’re Comfortable In Many Social Situations

It's not surprising that Southern Living editors are pretty good communicators (sometimes too good during office hours), but it was really endearing how many of them attributed that to growing up with summer camp. Part of the camp experience is making new friends from different places, and in order to do that, you have to speak up sometimes. Plus, kids at camp have to answer for themselves to adults on site, rather than looking to Mom or Dad to fill in the blanks. Plenty of camp scenarios are just mini real-world social situations. The communication skills you absorb there are often tied to being adaptable and flexible. Summer camp revolves around group activities, and it's great to have realistic expectations of working, playing, and socializing in a group. As one editor said, "It's not all about you!"

You Have Good Time Management Skills

While we're on the topic of group activities, it's important to mention that those are on a schedule. You wake up at the same time every morning and have a plan for the day. There's no snoozing the camp-wide alarm. However, there's usually free time (and opportunities for independence) built into those rigid schedules, and camp kids understand the meaning of "time management" quickly with that freedom. Campers that master the importance of timeliness at a young age so as not to miss out on activities turn into adults who don't miss out on them, either.

You Have An Appreciation For Nature

Camp kids spend the majority of their time outside being active during the summer. Whether they become skilled at skiing on a lake, riding horses through the woods, or identifying native plants, these kids are taught some of their most valuable lessons while outdoors. During my time at camp, I learned about the flora and fauna of the region but more importantly, I fostered a deep respect for wildlife. And what former camp kid can’t spout off a rhyme about which snakes are poisonous and which are safe? 

You Have Lifelong Friends From Different Cities

Aside from the occasional vacation acquaintance that they probably won't see again, kids don't get many opportunities to make friends that don't live in the same geographic area as them (excluding the Internet…I'm not even going to try to go there). It's pretty special to watch your child become friends with kids from other cities and states and then maintain those relationships through high school, college, and well into adulthood. It's all too easy to let adult friendships slide with distance, but camp kids know the impact of keeping them close.

Summer camp is an amazing opportunity for children to build a sense of independence. Camp offers a safe environment to build self-reliance and a passion for new experiences. Campers become dedicated to achieving goals and gain the ability to make new friends they wouldn't otherwise. Camp kids are given real-world responsibilities that are taken seriously. It's an opportunity to be "on their own" before they truly have to be on their own.

I know that being a camp kid is an immense privilege. As an adult, it's amazing to reminisce on camp memories only to realize that so many of the skills and strengths I use today were learned there. It's not often I go to an event or visit a town where a familiar face isn't present because of camp connections. If you made it this far, you're probably a camp kid, too, and I'm really glad I got all that out of my system so my husband (a summer sports kid; he doesn't get it, y'all) didn't have to hear it.