Summer Dispatches, Far From Home

This summer, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Patch will periodically feature stories from the  freelancers who are spending time away from home. This first installment features a piece by Adam Offitzer, president of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School class of 2010, who returned from counselor-orientation 200 miles away to deliver his speech at the high school's graduation June 23. 

It has been difficult for me to find time to sit down and write this letter home from Camp Schodack. Whether I am picking out shades for "super silly sunglasses Sunday," exploring the depths of Howe Caverns on a camp trip, coaching teams for two exhausting days of color war or chilling in Lake George with friends on our day off, there are rarely moments for "me time," moments when I can really sit down, relax, and think. I write this now as I sit O.D. ("on duty") for my campers, staying in the bunk with them as they fall asleep. And once they've drifted-off, I'm able to check out too, crashing into my bed and preparing myself for another long day tomorrow.

But before I sleep, I should probably finish this letter, updating all of you back in Scotch Plains about what life is like here, three hours north in New York State, nestled "in the foothills of the Berkshires." The daily routine? I'm up at 8:15 (wake-up time is really 8, but I give myself and the kids a little more time to sleep), probably blasting Taio Cruz or Usher to kick-off the day and wake my bunk up for breakfast. My two co-counselors and I are responsible for the wellbeing of 19 energetic sixth- and seventh-graders, and we take that responsibility seriously, constantly counting heads all day.

After breakfast we cleanup our very messy bunk with two brooms and two dustpans. Even though "DJ" is a job on our chore chart, along with "cubbies," "bathrooms," and "sweep," I usually take it upon myself to be the bunk's music man.

The end of cleanup brings us to the beginning of our six activities of the day (with lunch in between). The activities can be unique to camp, like water-skiing and climbing tower, or more traditional, like basketball and soccer. My kids are extremely competitive; they'll fight over calls and blame each other for petty little mistakes. But the other counselors and I like to enforce our ultimate bunk mission statement: unity. Perhaps better put, Siouxnity- after all, we are the Sioux Boys (in a longstanding summer camp tradition, each bunk is labeled with the name of an Indian tribe).

My day grows only increasingly stressful, busy, and fun after those six activities. Before and after dinner we have "camper's choice," periods of time in which kids can run around camp freely and do any activity they want. At these times, I am in charge of the most popular activity on camp, called Ultra Leagues. These intramural sports leagues involve more 120 kids of all ages and both genders. Each day we play soccer and basketball. And each day, I officiate basketball, keep track of statistics, and update standings. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it: the leagues have a great impact on these kids' summers, as a buzzer-beater, or a goal, or the mention of their name in the Schodack Scoop (our daily newspaper) the next morning can mean the world to a camper.

So where does free time come in? Every night, save for the once a week I'm on duty, I can go out with my friends and explore the wonderful village of Nassau, NY. It's just too bad there isn't much to explore and we end up at the same place night after night, a small restaurant called MyPlace. MyPlace is to my friends and I as the coffee shop on Friends is to the "friends," or as Monk's Diner on Seinfeld is to Jerry and the gang. We have the night there to unwind, talk about our frustrating campers, discuss our plans for days off (so far I've been to Lake George, Grafton, and Amherst, MA), and enjoy either a chicken ceasar wrap, boneless buffalo wings, or, on Mondays, dollar burgers at the bar.

It's only my second summer on staff, but my tenth summer overall at Schodack, so I know the drill. While each summer has its distinguishing memories, songs and moments, they do blend into each other and become repetitive. However, this summer has proven unique: for the first time in my life, I am experiencing true homesickness. In every summer I have spent here in the past, I knew that by late August I'd be home to hang out with friends before starting school in September. This year, I'm off to college within a week of my return. I've already said some real goodbyes, and won't be seeing some of my closest home friends until Thanksgiving. 

After a phenomenal senior year in high school, in which I made so many new friends and continued with so many old ones, the decision to spend  another summer at camp was difficult and, to my friends, a strange one. It has certainly been tough to miss all these graduation parties and fun, final nights at home with people I love. But camp is another world for me, another place that I love filled with friends I care about. And for all I know, it could be my last summer here too. Thankfully, with my incredible bunk and friends, I'm not regretting it one bit.