summer camp

A piece of wisdom that I’ve heard is that camp can be a redefining moment for kids’ lives. And I’ve learned many ways that this statement rings true.

There is an intimate, human quality to handwritten letters. They can create a material connection with others from miles away that can forever be held and looked back on. These letters also in time can serve as written records of history, tangible reminders of the past. In our movement towards digital technology, we risk the loss of one of the most treasured forms of human communication.

Watching the kids live uninhibitedly for a week, however, I was reminded how easy it used to be to shut my brain off and have fun doing literally anything.

There’s something cathartic about making a friendship bracelet: separating out the strings, looping one over the other, pulling them tight and repeating.

There are a lot of other elements we practice such as pitch, rhythm and movement. But most importantly, the past five months of singing lessons affirmed to me that art is practice.

I hope that they will not be coerced into STEM just because their parents feel the need to “start early.” Instead, they should be able to ignite and pursue their own curiosity, whether it’s through putting mentos in coke or trying to burn something using a flashlight. More than anything, I wish for young girls around the world to have the freedom to do what they want.