When I was in fifth grade, life was as good as it could be. I went to a great school, had a nice teacher, a handful of likeminded friends and a supportive family. What more could a girl like me ask for?
Even before I got into fifth grade, I was overly excited for the fifth grade camp! I remember imagining about it all the time. Camp, for me, would be the ultimate transition from elementary to middle school. The camp experience would make me feel more independent and ready.
Finally, the camp day came. I had packed my new sleeping bag, my minty toothpaste, and all the necessities, and put them in my soft, orange, duffle bag which was then put into a plastic trash bag.
We had just hopped off the 20 mile bus ride, full of excitement and laughter. When we had gotten off, everyone was speechless. “CAMP WARM BEACH”, the sign said. It was beautiful. We were covered by the forests of lush, greenery and birds singing their songs. Finding out what my cabin was, was the best! I got Aspen cabin and bunked with my friends, of course, I had top bunk :-). The mess hall was next. I wondered if we would have a good fight, like they did in the movies, though I didn’t want to get my only pair of shoes messy :-).
The food in the mess hall was expectedly delicious and unexpectedly inviting. My tastebuds were having more fun than I was, and I was having a lot of fun :-).
Speaking of fun, the activities were a pleasure. I remember going rock climbing the first time and I even made it to the top in a race! Also, swimming at the pool was great! However my favorite was when it was the second day, when we were roasting marshmallows under the breezy Seattle wind, when the sky was clear and you could see the stars. Overall, it was a great experience.
If you were a fifth grader, like me, in the year of 2020, you know camp never happened. The world was stricken with coronavirus. How I wish my camp memoir was real. However, no pandemic can take away my imaginary camp from me.
