…And Owego parents everywhere look at their camper’s list and check it twice.

Favorite beverage? Check.

Favorite NUT-FREE homemade baked goods? Check.

Extra Cup ‘o Noodles? Check.

Magic cards? Check.

If your camper is anything like mine, he wants to go out of camp tomorrow. Not for lunch, mind you, but to stop at Dollar General for snacks. As if he needs anything. “You get Canteen multiple times a week,” I reminded him, after he thrust his list at me when I came to record the camp show.

“Yeah, but the stuff at Dollar General is different,” he responded. Um, ok.

Whatever you choose to bring, and wherever you decide to go (or not to go), Visiting Day for our Full Session campers is an emotional roller coaster, fueled by a little extra sugar and filled with a lot of love.

The festivities will begin at 11:30, but I can assure you that the cars will be lining up along Route 6 at least an hour ahead of time. One thing I’ve learned in my 9 years affiliated with Owego is that you absolutely will NOT lose any momentum if you arrive at 11:30. Because we are a smaller camp, our staff is able to get everyone through the gates in an incredibly efficient manner. At Owego, you will see none of the frenzied “running of the parents” often parodied on social media. Our vibe is chill, and it leads to a refreshingly laid-back Visiting Day experience.

I’ve experienced Owego’s Visiting Day as the parent of a new camper, as a staff member, and now as an Old-Timer whose oldest is a counselor and whose younger camper’s Visiting Day list includes “anything you think I might like.” In other words, I’ve seen it all.

Tomorrow will be a wonderful day. Mother Nature is feeling cooperative, and the perfect weather will make an already special day even better! No matter how you spend your 3.5 hours at camp (I’ll be at Dollar General, so maybe I’ll see you there), your camper will be super excited to show you everything he has been up to since June 27th. Embrace all of it and listen to all of the crazy stories, even if nothing quite makes sense! You have given your child the gift of camp, and tomorrow you will get to enjoy it alongside him. Lucky kids, lucky parents!