Reflecting on a Maine Camp Summer Gone By

With Labor Day weekend behind us and autumn quickly approaching, it’s time to say goodbye to another wonderful summer spent at camp in Maine. One of the most remarkable things about camp is how it simply stands apart from the “real world.” After just a few short weeks reacclimating to everyday life, it’s hard to believe that less than a month ago we were spending every day in Maine, and how simply different it was. In the real world mornings begin quietly – a cell phone alarm, a cup of coffee, and a shower – but at camp, from the moment reveille blows the day is charged with a frenetic energy that carries you through until it’s time for bed again. Cheers and songs provided the soundtrack for meals in a way that the TV simply never will, and zany costumes and face-paint constitute a professional wardrobe that would turn heads on my morning commute. Camp is, quite simply, its own unique world. Of course, camp is an arc that is not solely comprised of catalog moments. There are moments of missing home that catch you unexpected. There are scraped knees and days when you’re sure the bugle must have blown too early. Camp is exhilarating, and it is exhausting. Above all else though, camp is rewarding – you put yourself into camp, and in turn you are woven into camp’s fabric. Camp is a place where people literally sing for your achievements, and where strangers are simply the friends you haven’t made yet. Camp is a community in the truest sense of the word – when you are at camp, you become part of family. And camp remains with you even when Closing Day has come and gone. So when the summer’s past, the little moments that make up the summer paint a picture of a truly magical place. You remember how beautifully the sun shines over the lake, even if you’d been hoping for a little rain. You remember what it’s like to be surrounded by friends, even if you might’ve appreciated a moment of solitude. When the summer is done, and you’re back in the real world again, you remember just how lucky you are to have a place that feels like home, a place that you can always come back to again. So when reflecting on a summer gone by, it’s hard not to smile and look forward to another summer ahead. Registration is now open for 2020 for Maine Camp Experience camps – secure your space for the Summer 2020 today! — Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our  website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.