Camp and I
My camp history is quite extensive. My mother and her best friend grew attending a sleepover camp, Camp Jorn YMCA in Northern Wisconsin, in a small town called Manitowish Waters. As they grew up they moved on and started working there, in these days they were hired at just the age of 15. My mother had me when she was 21 years old so camp was still a huge part of her lives and it soon became a part of mine. Most of my mom’s closest friends attend or worked at this summer camp. I was five years old when I first stepped foot on the property. I don’t remember much from the first time visiting but the pictures I have help remind me.
This summer camp was magical. As I grew up, it meant so much to me I even got a tattoo with one of my best friends(who also attended this camp growing up) for camp. When I was six years old, my whole family started to visit this camp in one of their Family camp sessions where many families could come and stay on the property and use the facilities, create memories with their families, and pass on the legacy of Jorn. Finally when I tuned 8 years old I was old enough to pack up my bags and attend a one week sleepover camp session. So, my got five of closest friends signed up for the same week and we went. As a child I was lucky enough to have friends that also had a connection with this exact camp. Whether it was an older sister than attended in the past, A parent that worked there in the past, or just someone that was familiar with the camp, it was a blessing that Camp Jorn was a mutual interest for all my childhood friends.
We all attend summer camp there until the age of 15, where we were old enough to attend their leadership programs and eventually apply to work there as counselors when we were 17. Growing up with summer camp being a huge part of my life was the most amazing experience. There are so many things I’ve learned from camp and the values they teach there that made me the person I am today. Even one of my roommates all through college was someone I met as a kid at Camp Jorn. If my mother hadn’t chosen summer camp for me I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
