I will always remember the day my dad came into my room in the summer between fourth and fifth grade with the catalog for Overland Summers camp. He encouraged me to flip through the pages, although I had no  clue what it was about. I sat for almost an hour in my bedroom flipping through each page, reading each description of the different trips they offered and staring at every single picture. I was only in elementary school, but I already knew that I had an interest in traveling with this program. Consequently, later that winter I attended an open house for the camp hosted in Ridgewood. The presentation was exciting, and I knew Overland was something I wanted to be a part of. I have now gone to this camp for five years straight, but each year has brought me to a different part of the world. Attending Overland Summers has positively impacted my life because of the relationships I have made with people from across the country, the life skills I continually learn, and the incredible experiences that I always have.

Overland is not the typical summer camp. You are not in a bunk with bunk beds; you are in tents with sleeping bags. You are not playing soccer and going to the lake; you are hiking, learning foreign languages, and experiencing the culture of new places each and every day of the trip. You are not with hundreds of people of different ages where you do not know nearly everyone’s names; you are in a group of 12 kids with similar ages and only 2 adults. You are not picking out a new outfit each day; you are figuring out which shirt is not covered in dirt from falling down a hike. Overland is a unique experience with a thrill in every interaction, an adventure at every crossroad, and a memory made in every moment.

Every year is the same, yet every year is different. Each trip starts the same way: I walk out of the terminal and find the two college students proudly wearing “Overland” t-shirts and big smiles across their faces. Since the first year, I have walked up to my counselors, introduced myself, and handed them my phone right away. They do not even need to ask for it. Every year, everyone complains and does not want to hand their phone in. However, that is one of the things I always look forward to. The difference in the relationships I make with people at camp in comparison to those at home is significant. I know these people for only a few short weeks, yet already, the bond is so strong. There is something special about taking a break from the addictive refresh button on Instagram and Snapchat and removing myself from the constant tick of the online world. At camp, there is no one to impress and there is no social media account to pose for. My friends tell me I look beautiful, and I believe them; there are no phones in sight. Everything is natural. When I am home, I cannot put my phone down for more than a minute. When I am at camp, I do not even want it back. I do not need it. The friends I make last a lifetime. They are the first people I will always go to if I need help. It is crazy how my best friends all live on opposite ends of the country. As ironic as it sounds, the absence of technology only made us closer. If we had our phones, I know for a fact camp would not have been the same. We would have been wrapped up in social media like every other person our age. We would stay up late showing each other our Instagrams instead of taking chances to stay up late, look at the beautiful Alaska views where it stayed light out all night long, and tell each other about our most embarrassing moments. I am glad that Overland takes our phones in the beginning of each trip; I would not be best friends with so many people without the rule I thought I would hate during my first year. Without technology, life was better. At camp, I felt free.

Not only are the relationships at Overland incredible, but the life skills I learned will last me forever. The average teenager does not get to embark on journeys like I did. What 12 year old travels alone to another country? Not many, that is for sure, but I did. I was scared my first year, but every year I am more and more excited. It can be scary traveling alone, but it has helped me. Traveling is one of my favorite endeavors, and Overland has embraced my love for it. It also helped me develop confidence. Because of Overland, I am no longer scared to face a challenge. I now like to take things head on, even if it is something I have never done before. I became confident in my skills as a traveler, leader, and camper. I also became more independent. I was able to do things on my own without the help of my parents. From an outsider’s perspective, you learn how to cook your own meals, pitch a tent, and live off of limited supplies. While this is true, Overland offers so much more; it teaches campers skills essential to life. Every camper’s confidence grows, every camper’s independence grows, and every camper’s teamwork skills grow. How can you learn to be independent and learn to work as a team at the same time? You learn how to go off on your own, away from reality for a few short weeks, but you do it with people that become your second family in the blink of an eye. And let me tell you, there is truly nothing better.

The experiences I have had are also another thing that Overland Summers has provided me. Traveling near and far to places I would have never gone to by myself is amazing. Did I ever think I would jump off the Jaws Bridge? Did I ever think I would camp with the wolves in Yellowstone? Did I ever imagine sleeping in bungalows in Costa Rica? Did I ever imagine I would hike up the Pyrenees Mountains in Spain? Did I ever think I would have a snowball fight on the top of a mountain in Alaska? No. I would never have had these experiences on my own, and I am thankful for every minute of every Overland trip. Building a brand new school in Costa Rica or learning new Spanish in Spain or carrying a 90 pound box up a steep 3 mile trail in Alaska were things I would have never experienced. Each Overland trip has helped shape me to the person I am today.

At camp, I feel free. I am free to be my own person, without the constant expectations given to me at school or home. I am not expected to get the good grades or get the most likes on my recent post; the only thing I am expected to do is to enjoy the ride. I am free from the technology and I am free in nature. I am free to hike up a mountain or jump into glacier water. Every priceless picture from Overland shows a smile. The only time I cry or get upset at camp is the day we are forced to separate and return to our homes, making what once seemed like a limitless zeal merely temporary. At camp, I am free, and at camp, I am me.