CAMP Essay, Research Paper

Camp

As the big tour bus pulls onto the long never ending dirt road, the shouts

could be heard for miles around. Branches scratch the sides and roof of the bus.

Windows are open and the fresh summer air glides into the bus. The dirt flies up

from the road and kisses the bus? sides. Approaching the same old grassy

parking lot, emotions start to fill up. Getting off the bus, finding the bags

brought to camp, and walking the twisted paths, getting to the cabin is most

exciting. The door of the cabin has a moth eaten screen covering half of the

door. Rusty and paint chipped handles are on either side of it. They feel cold

each time some one touches it to open or close the door. There are thin walls

are covered in white paint which separate the cabin in to 4 claustrophobic

rooms. Under the paint, there are black marker graffiti from previous years.

Reading that graffiti makes you feel more at home, because it?s never bad.

There are two main sleeping rooms with 4 beds in each. Even though it?s the

first day, the rooms smell like dampness and sweat. It will only get worse as

time goes on, with all those wet bathing suits hanging up, and people sweating

after those hardcore soccer games.

Long winding paths with roots sticking up from the ground lead to every where

you want to go. The roots look like twisted arms and hands waiting for some

unsuspecting victim to cross it?s path and get dragged to the ground. There

are big leaf filled branches hanging over the paths to make a nice shady place

to walk under on those really hot days or when it?s raining.

When it rains at camp, people hibernate in the lodge or their cabins. As the

rain hits the tin roofs of the cabin, it makes a loud tapping noise. Outside,

things on the clothesline get drenched. From the window, the branches are

visible. They do a wild dance and slam against the cabin walls. Lighting

crashes, making the girls scream. The scream echoes throughout the girls

section.

Big and old sits the lodge, painted white with green window frames and big

wooden steps leading to a wooden porch. A silver metal handle is placed to open

the screen door with. The floor of the lodge is very weak and every time someone

walks over it, it bounces up and down. There are 10 white tables set around the

crowded room. On some tables there are huge pinkish splotches of juice stained

on them. The screen windows are scattered around. There is a light wooden porch

in the back that leads down to lover?s rock and the sailing dock. From the

dock you can see the dark blue water rippling all over the place. The big, white

puffy clouds made beautiful shapes and gently drift across the vast blue sky.

Pine trees reflected in the water add color the water to make a more vibrant

lake.

All around the counselors lodge it smells like a mixture of men?s cologne

and cigarette smoke and the TV is always blasting. The rocky path in front of

the counselors? lodge leads to the even more rocky boat beach. There is an old

termite eaten dock on the beach and behind that is where all the mold filled

life jackets are kept. The sand is very rocky and no one takes off ones shoes or

sandals. There are a few sailboats gracefully bobbing up and down in the crystal

clear water and the wind makes them point in a certain direction. The old

volleyball net is hung across the swim beach where the sand there is really soft

and hot under the powerful sun. There is a rack full of new, beautiful white

windsurf boards. The fins are pitch black and very sharp looking, jutting out of

the board.

Soon, the end of camp creeps up behind you, unsuspectingly. The last night

there is always a campfire. People hug each other. The fire is beautiful.

Dancing, singing, bright red fire. Whip, whirl, wildly, freely, madly. Out of

control, snap, crack, groan. Inferno blazes with hatred and sorrow. Shrieking,

yelling, shouting blazing smoke engulfed hell, bright red hell fire. Sugar is

tossed over it to remind people of how loving this camp is to every one.

Staying awhile at this camp, beginning to relate to the wonderful life and

basically getting a second family and home, a life lesson is being taught day by

day. When it?s time to leave camp, no one wants to leave at all. No more going

to see the same smiling faces every morning, waking up to the same people,

hearing the same people laughing at you when you spill something, or hearing the

same scratchy voices sing grace before each and every long meal. The tears come

as the first steps are made on to the bus. Sorrowful sobs and whimpers fill the

thick summer air. Random people hug each other and make promises to keep in

touch, and not forget each other. As the bus goes up the rocky, never- ending

road, the pebbles slap the bus? sides. The crying gets louder and more

annoying the farther the bus goes up the road. Soon the crying stops and people

start talking and laughing again. The bus pulls into the shopping center parking

lot and people get off the bus and find their loving parents, get in the car,

and go home thinking about the summer, and every thing that happened to them. No

matter how many summers people spend there, they will always have an imprint of

that first summer, where they make friends. Camp is amazing.