This is my last summer as a camper at Kingsley Pines. This sudden fact seems to spark up all of my memories from past years. I first showed up in 2001—shy, unknowing, and only willing to talk to a few girls I already knew. That all changed on my second day, though, when I started meeting new people and trying out new activities that I had never done before. In the summer of 2002, I stayed for a full 6 weeks, which was quite a change, but I welcomed it. I had many more friends now and was much more confident in myself in most areas. Then came summer 2003, the year that determined what type of person I truly am and what I truly wish to be. I learned activities that I never knew existed and made some very significant friends who I am now happy to call best friends. And now, here I am in the summer of 2004– a time I had waited ten months for in anticipation.

I woke up on June 20 and felt strangely odd though, I was about to travel three hours to the place I wanted to be all winter long and finally it was here. I showed up those three hours later at camp, looked around, took a deep sigh, for I finally knew that my wish had come true and this summer would be the best of all. It’s good to know you are right, because the reward at the end of the rainbow is so much greater than I expected. I am happy to say that for once in my life, I am well… happy… not stuck in the loneliness most call home. I believe that my time here was well spent and I hope to visit a lot in the future. I want to thank all those campers and counselors who made my experience well worth it. I will surely miss this place, but it’s like in the song “Linger” - “and as the years go by...I’ll think of you and sigh… this is goodnight and not goodbye…”