by Hannah D. (CA 2K14) It has officially passed the one month mark since camp has ended. Even though it has felt like years I want you to know you are not alone when you miss camp. Here are 10 ways to help you being away from your haven in Cascade: 1. STALK PHOTOS Look at all those great pictures you took this summer. Before the homegrown dance, cab night, that one photo you got with your bfc that you are super proud of. Depending on the amount of photos you have taken you can reminisce for hours! (I took over 1000 this summer so if you need any to look at don’t be afraid to ask!)

2. SOCIAL MEDIA

Thank God that we live in 2014 and we can easily tweet, Instagram, Facebook, etc. to all our camp friends. Post all the #TBTs you want of you with your camp friends. That’s why it exists! Every Monday post an #LouiseLunes because once a week posting about camp is not enough. With Social Media you can keep in contact easily and relive all the incredible memories!

3. MAKE A CAMP PLAYLIST

Camp would not be camp without our constant sing alongs and that one song that everyone seems to be singing the entire summer (this summer it was definitely Frozen). Make a CD or a playlist of your iPod of all those songs that remind you of camp: Wake Up Song, Build Me Up Buttercup, Brave, etc. It will take you right back to Bunk Time.

4. REUNIONS

Plan a bunk reunion. You don’t even have to do anything. Go out to lunch, chill at someone’s house, have a sleepover… Anything is better when you are with your camp sisters! If you want to be really fun plan to go to a concert together, or if you are old enough, go farming at camp! It’s always better when you’re together so just make plans to see them; I promise it will be worth it.

5. VIMEO

There is a small possibility the day before camp this summer I stayed up until 3am watching all the videos on vimeo. It has dance concert, folkdance festival, color games highlights. You get to experience camp through your computer screen; it’s the best! I recommend CAmp Code because it’s a real piece of art. (:

6. FOLKDANCE

Camp is so wonderful that they uploaded a bunch of the Friday night folkdance songs to Sound Cloud, so if you are ever craving to kick-ball change, box step, or brush step behind step go for it! It will help with your craving to want to run back and forth through your room for 16 tons.

7. DIY FRIDAY NIGHT SERVICE

Also on Sound Cloud all your favorite Friday Night songs are on there so you can have your camp style Shabbat dinner! Sit with your family, light the candles, eat your potatoes and green beans and play these so you can bring the service to you!

8. CRAFT

The string you buy at Michael’s is still there in the fall, winter, and spring. Have your wrist ready for next summer and start working on your candy stripe. If you want fun patterns I recommend friendship-bracelets.net, it has so many. Also make a collage of all your pictures, coloring pages, letters, and other memorabilia and hang it up on your wall. It will be the perfect decoration!

9. Brainstorm possibilities for your potential counselors/color games theme/ unit themes

It’s is the one thing we are always wondering before camp starts. What will our unit theme be? What will color game theme be? If that is on your mind write down potential ideas to help you get it off your chest. I remember when I was in Unit D my bunk and I calculated what year we would be CIT’s and what age group our counselors would be. It’s a super fun way for you to finally start counting down to CIT summer (no matter how early) and for you to go deep into your camp brain and think about who could possibly be your counselor. 10. Nothing To be completely honest no matter how much you try you never can stop missing camp. You could watch all the videos, stalk all the pictures and text your friends, but nothing will compare to that mountain air up in Cascade, safe in our summer home. But this isn’t something you should be sad about. You should feel so happy that you have something worth missing that much. Camp being so short makes the time you are there that much special. All you can do is wait and watch as the clock counts down back to summer. Enjoy your school year though because the more you enjoy it the faster the year will go and sooner you will be back at camp..   Love, Hannah, a 2014 CA