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SLEEP-AWAY CAMP FOR NEWBIES 

A first-timers’ reflection after three weeks apart

By: Cody Harris   |   September 28, 2021

This past summer marked a major milestone in the Harris family: our two older boys packed up their duffel bags and headed off to sleep-away camp for three whole weeks.

 

They weren’t that far—just about an hour north near the Russian River. But it was our first time—ever—being away from the boys that long. There were no FaceTime chats. No texts. No phone calls. We sent letters almost every day and received a few in the mail here and there. But that was about it. It was our first time disconnecting from two people we have cared for, watched over, and worried about for ten and eight years, respectively.

 

The camp was called Eden Village West, which is a Jewish Summer Camp that focuses on nature, healthy foods and outdoor activities. Neither my wife nor I ever went to sleep-away camp, so we had no real frame of reference. And due to COVID protocols, we didn’t get a chance to wander around the camp, see what the bunks would be like, or really get to meet their counselors. Instead, we drove up, had their nostrils swabbed, waited 15 minutes for the all-clear, said goodbye, and drove off.

 

I’m not going to lie: dropping them off was amazing. The car was quiet on the way home. The house was quiet when we got back. We still had our 18-month old daughter to tend to, but we jokingly remarked that we could probably handle a half-dozen babies compared to those two endlessly energetic boys.

 

The boys had a blast, too. Their letters revealed that they were trying out a bunch of new activities, like archery, woodworking, and cooking, as well as enjoying swimming, sports, and some Jewish-inspired celebrations. The camp would send pictures every few days, and we’d scour them for information and clues about what our kids were up to. They looked happy and engaged and seemed to be having the time of their lives.

 

As the days turned to weeks, we found we really missed them. Losing the ability to speak to your children after a decade of doing little else is a bit disorienting. Our daughter would point at pictures of them and look at us quizzically, as if to say, “Hey, what happened to those guys?” 

 

Our younger boy apparently wasn’t much into writing us letters, but every few days we’d get a drawing of a tree or a sunset. We read into that whatever we could.

 

Throughout the three-week session, we wondered what pick-up would be like. How would the boys have changed? Would they be happy to see us, or bummed? When the day arrived, they ran across the grass and hugged us, crying. They were happy, sad, excited, relieved, despondent, euphoric—everything all at once.

 

We were elated to have them back.

 

The transition to regular home life was a bit bumpy at times, with our younger boy feeling “campsick” (instead of homesick) and our older boy wanting to do nothing other than text his bunk mates (and a few older girls, for whatever reason). But after a weeklong re-entry period, we settled back into a family rhythm.

 

Oftentimes, I found myself thinking about how fortunate we are to have this opportunity.

 

So many families struggle during the summer to find childcare and activities that keep their kids safe and thriving. Having never been able to go when I was a kid, I always felt that sleep-away camp was something of an extravagance. True or not, summer camp gives kids the chance to explore and grow away from their parents, and it gives parents a breather from the non-stop churn of parenting. We were all lucky to experience it and are already making plans for next year.

 

Three weeks was good. Maybe a bit longer next time!

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