Trepidation & Nostalgia – A perspective on returning to ‘the nest’ of camp

Return to Sender!

This past Summer, I made a decision to return to Storer for a visit after 16 years.  As with most reunions, you ask yourself ‘why so long?’…and with most reunions you are a mixed bag of emotions.  On one hand giddy with nostalgia, on the other, apprehensive.  Why so jumbled? After all, this is a place I knew well before I became an official Indian Village camper in 1979.  I was a camper from ’79-88; Returning in ’90-’93 as Staff, and ’95 & ’96 in specialized, Summer roles.

Perhaps the answer for my ambivalence lies in the fact that like a baby bird, you must leave the nest.  Like all of you, I did a lot of growing in that nest.  Camp was my home away from home.  A place where I could thrive every Summer, have fun, be a kid, and learn how to be a decent human being along the way.  For me, this is where I grew the most, learned the most, and excelled the most. Storer was experiential learning at its finest.  The classroom was the great outdoors, immersive and real, not theoretical.  The safe nest provided to me at Storer by some amazing, nurturing people, was full of love and acceptance.  A place full of learning.  Open opportunities.  Choices that were ‘kid’ centric and driven.  A place of life-long lessons teaching how to accept yourself.  How to accept others.  How a team works.  And understanding what Enthusiasm, Responsibility, Humility, Leadership & Service really mean.

So why so damn apprehensive…going back to camp?  Shouldn’t be a big deal to go visit.  I could blame the 2,275 miles between San Diego and Napoleon.  But I visit my family in the midwest on a regular basis, so this excuse doesn’t fit.  I discussed this reflection with many people recently and it was brought to my attention that I was not the only one to have such mixed emotions about returning.

As I mentioned, I returned after 16 years.  I reached out to camp knowing that next year would be YMCA Storer Camps’ 100th Anniversary and I wanted to be a part of whatever plans were being made.  I made contact with Becky Spencer, Executive Director at Storer, and she welcomed me and my wife Jen with open arms.  We enjoyed a great tour, visiting some old sites and visiting current facilities and saw some programs in action.  There was much I recognized and more that was ‘new’ to me.  But at the end of the day, children are still being served with the great Storer values everyone would recognize.  That’s what made the biggest impression on me.  Kids were still at the center of things, as they should be.

So, after sharing my story on returning back to camp, I urge you to do the same.  Don’t be silly like me and harbor unfounded apprehension!  In fact, let’s make the 100th very special and get as many people there as we can.  It will be a great day of sharing, reminiscing and celebration.  The 100th celebration is Themed ‘100 Years’ of Camp Stories’ and it would be great to have you come back and share yours.

June 30, 2018

100 Years of Campfire Stories at YMCA Storer Camps!

√ Check out : 100th anniversary registration or

√ Visit http://www.ymcastorercamps.org for official information & RSVP

√ I’ll post an unofficial roster of those who are coming, put your name on the list!

√ If you are traveling from afar, they will have accommodations available the night prior.

I’ll be coming in from San Diego, so I’ll see you there on the 29th.