Towering Pines Blog
My First Experiences at Camp – Matthew Tuttle
Arriving at Towering Pines for the first time, as a 15 year old, I was flooded with a range of excitement and emotions. The drive up, check into camp and cabin, were all unchallenging. Once my parents left and I was unpacking, I felt a wave of homesickness come on. Just as the homesickness was about to take hold, a second year camper, Chris Forbrich, came up to me, “hey Matt, I’m Chris. Let me help you unpack and then I’ll show you the camp.” From that day on, there was never time to ponder about being away from home. Most of the days are filled with activities and when not, campers are socializing with each other and the counselors. Ironically, the only time I every felt even the slightest bit homesick was in my 7th year (which was my 4th as a counselor) on a day off where I was missing a friend visiting my home town. I always cried when leaving camp as a camper and young counselor, which certainly is a testament to the comfort and camaraderie camp develops.
In my experience as a counselor, the only time where any camper could potentially feel homesick is just before they fall asleep, since that is the only time things are not busy and the mind can wander. Thankfully, though, everyone is so tired they usually fall asleep within minutes.
Matthew Tuttle