The worst thing about camp is that it ends.
The best thing about camp is that it never leaves you.
Early tomorrow morning, we will wake up, grab our backpacks and trash bags of “miscellaneous” items, and hop a bus or car or airplane home. June 28th seems like a distant memory, and yet the summer has passed by in a flash. Weren’t we just watching the staff talent show?
Many of us will start school soon. Some will head off to college for the first time, others will be attending a new school. By mid-September, we’ll be wearing hoodies and planning for Halloween. There will be a million things to distract us, but we’ll still think about camp.
When we hear someone say “6-7” we’ll think about camp. When we wear our Olympics or Polar Bears shirt, we’ll think about camp. When we eat Fruit Loops, we’ll think about camp. When we hear a particular song, we’ll stop what we’re doing and think about camp.
Some of us will be lucky enough to see our Owego Brothers over the course of the school year. The Bar Mitzvah circuit alone will ensure that our 7th graders maintain regular get-togethers! When you’re out in the real world, removed from the magic of camp, you long for the simple joys — playing Magic in the Grove during Rec Swim, making S’mores at the Friday night campfire, digging for worms by the lake. What you must remember is that these memories are accessible to you anytime, anyplace. When winter is pounding down with its icy chill, you can conjure up memories of being sweaty while running during Owego Raid or being sprayed with the hose during Beat the Heat.
Stay connected to your Owego Brothers in any way you can. Reminisce together via text (or whatever the kids are using these days). Laugh at your bunk’s inside jokes. Sing your Frontier Week song. READ THE BLOG! Follow the Owego Instagram. Wear your Owego shirts with pride. When people in the “real world” ask you about it, smile and know that you are a part of something extraordinary and special — and that other people would never really understand.
When you get home, please watch the First and Second Session videos on our YouTube channel, and relive all of the amazing moments from Summer 2025. When you’re missing camp, remember that Owego is as much a state of mind as it is a location off of Route 6 in Greeley. It will always be there for you.
This is the final blog post of Summer 2025. What was a daily narrative all summer long will now become a monthly ode to camp. And when you return to Owego in June 2026, the blog will be ready to report on all of the amazing things you’re going to do.
That’s all for now, folks.
