Most teenagers would probably tell you that the beginning of their adulthood was marked by having to do laundry for the first time, or being able to drive alone, or perhaps no longer sitting at the children's table at family events. But for me, it happened this past summer, when I made the very difficult decision that I would not return to Coleman Country Day Camp.
To those who were not fortunate enough to have grown up at summer camp, this might not seem like such a big decision to make. But Coleman was my outlet, my second home for ten consecutive summers and spending those two months anywhere else seemed inconceivable to me.
Like most people, I always sought familiarity, which made it especially difficult to let go of childhood memories. …show more content…
Slowly and much to my surprise, things started to get better. By day six, I was an expert on navigating through the city. Each day on my walk back to Penn Station, I would take a new route, marveling at New York City’s array of tourists and commuters.
After two months, I'm able to brag that I know exactly how many Starbucks cafes there are between 34th and 43rd streets and that Fifth Avenue hosts the best clothing shops. I'm now the one that encourages my friends not to be afraid to take the subway when we're in the city.
I soon realized the other girls in the program were on the same boat as me, and those unfamiliar faces became my new best friends. Growing up with girls who had similar backgrounds as me, I was able to gain more than I imagined from being in such a diverse environment like Girls Who Code.
Through IBM, I met professionals from the business and tech industries and was exposed to the working world, an opportunity I would’ve never had in the confines of summer camp. Learned how to code
While I learned tolerance and leadership skills from camp, it was this summer that made me an independent young adult, one who is less afraid of trying new
To those who were not fortunate enough to have grown up at summer camp, this might not seem like such a big decision to make. But Coleman was my outlet, my second home for ten consecutive summers and spending those two months anywhere else seemed inconceivable to me.
Like most people, I always sought familiarity, which made it especially difficult to let go of childhood memories. …show more content…
Slowly and much to my surprise, things started to get better. By day six, I was an expert on navigating through the city. Each day on my walk back to Penn Station, I would take a new route, marveling at New York City’s array of tourists and commuters.
After two months, I'm able to brag that I know exactly how many Starbucks cafes there are between 34th and 43rd streets and that Fifth Avenue hosts the best clothing shops. I'm now the one that encourages my friends not to be afraid to take the subway when we're in the city.
I soon realized the other girls in the program were on the same boat as me, and those unfamiliar faces became my new best friends. Growing up with girls who had similar backgrounds as me, I was able to gain more than I imagined from being in such a diverse environment like Girls Who Code.
Through IBM, I met professionals from the business and tech industries and was exposed to the working world, an opportunity I would’ve never had in the confines of summer camp. Learned how to code
While I learned tolerance and leadership skills from camp, it was this summer that made me an independent young adult, one who is less afraid of trying new