Hey, Camp Fans!
It’s the Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest! We’re in full swing for this year, announcing our lucky winners and sharing their stories right here on the Blog. Today, I’m announcing our second $200 gift certificate winners! Today’s winner is….
Ashley G.!
Congratulations, Ashley! You’re our Second Place Winner of a $200 gift certificate to our one-stop camping gear shop! Ashley gives us her story of sending her daughter off for a summer stay at Emma Kaufmann Camp in West Virginia. Read about it in her Contest entry right here:
“I started this story six times! There are so many things I can say about sleep away camp. I LOVED my own time at Jewish summer camp and this year I sent my daughter for the first time. It took some pushing to get her to want to go to camp and be away from mommy and daddy.
At drop off, she wanted the goodbye moment to be as short as possible. She was so anxious, I didn't expect that. I cried as soon as she walked away. The first few days I felt like I was missing something everywhere I went. Everyone talks about how amazing it is to have time to yourself, but really there is a loss to adjust to.
It was nice to know I wasn't alone, as I connected with another mom the camp director had introduced me to, and once the smiling pictures started rolling in, I relaxed a bit. When I went to pick my daughter up two weeks later and she said, "Now that I've seen you I'd like to stay," I knew pushing her to go was one of the best things I'd done as a mom. I've already signed up both my kids for next year!”
It’s wonderful to hear how well camp went this season, Ashely! Emma Kaufmann Camp sounds like it was a great place for your daughter. You must have been so proud of her and yourself when she asked to extend her stay! It’s great that you had another camp mother to confide in during your daughter’s stay. It’s certainly difficult to see your child off for time away from home, but you did a great job getting through it!
Be sure to come back on Monday when we reveal our Grand Prize Winner for our 'Share Your Camp Story Contest'! To anybody else interested in Emma Kaufmann Camp, you can check it out by clicking right here and, as always, thanks for reading!
- John