One Camper’s Review and Advice for Future Frost Valley Campers

11/20/2018

Thank you to Paul M., a camper who attended Frost Valley this past summer, for sharing his review and advice for future campers!

This is a review and a little advice about Frost Valley YMCA. And a little of my experience in Frost Valley YMCA. I want to start with the fact that it was the best experience I have ever had! My best summer ever! The nature is so beautiful! The air is clean, and it’s always a joy to wake up in the morning and breathe it! The counselors are great and very friendly! They’re helpful and happy to help you at any time! But I have to tell you how to make the best of it, how to get all the fun in this place—Frost Valley YMCA!

You have to come with a positive attitude, and be ready for anything! You have to be relaxed but at the same time open minded and vigilant because there are a lot of things you have to do during the time you’re going to be there. And you have to pay attention to the directions that the staff are giving, otherwise you’ll get confused and it’s going to pretty hard to find your way around in the first day, especially if you’re there for the first time. But again, the staff are very helpful and you can ask any one to direct you to wherever you need to go.

Come prepared for rainy weather. It’s most likely to rain in the time of your stay. I didn’t come as prepared as I should have. I had only two sweatshirts, in case of cold weather, and I had a hard time to get one of them dry while wearing the other one because it was raining often. I always had to switch between them.

Don’t be that shy kind of person who doesn’t really get involved in conversations. Because you’ll feel a little lonely if you don’t. And if you’re new there, you’ll most likely see that the other kids in your cabin, know each other already, and they have their own conversations, and their not going to notice you at first. So you have to involve yourself in the conversations, and when you see other kids entering the cabin, be one of the first to shake they’re hands and introduce yourself. It’s going to give you a good image of yourself and others will look at you better later on. In short, have self confidence. Sometimes, it depends in what, but sometimes, participate in other’s jokes and laugh with them if you find something that you or others do funny. Loosen up, and even be silly and stupid in a funny way if you want. Don’t be stiff, have fun!

Be one of the first that gets his Bunks. If you’re one of the last ones, your going to have to choose from what’s left…. You need to choose a bunk that you like, because after all, that’s were your going to sleep for at least two weeks and if you don’t like what you got, it’s not going to be fun….

Try learning the schedule so you wont have to always ask around: “Hey, what are we doing now?” “Hey, what’s next?” (I didn’t know the schedule by heart so that’s what I did).

Give all you’ve got in the activities! There are MANY of them! There are the Olimpix, the Gladiator fights, a game were you have to get back to your cabin without being observed, board games, and many more!

Make a lot of friends, because when hangout comes, you’ll be lonely if you don’t know anyone. (Hangout, is literally what it’s name says. It’s two hours of simply talking, playing, and having fun with the kids of the camp; you hang out!

At the hike, bring exactly what you need. Nothing more, nothing less. It depends on your age, but if you’re from one of the big kid’s villages it’s going to be hard. But it’s fun, beautiful, and especially rewarding when you reach the top of the mountain! It’s also fun along the way! But just come ready, otherwise, your going to be in a bad situation.

At the end of the session, it’s always very sad…. The separations of good friends are very depressing! But also emotional. I personally cried all the last three days before the end. (And I almost never cry).

During the session, there’s the dance party near the end of camp. If you like dancing, go for it! It’s actually funner then you would think it would be. But of course, it depends on many things. But in general it’s fun. This dance is especially important for the shy ones that need to learn to get over the fear of asking someone to a dance, and dancing and in general builds self confidence. If you don’t get over the fear that night, you’re going to regret it! To sum up, this is what you have to remember when you come to Frost Valley.

Be self confident, aware, and open minded.

Have the necessary clothes, it depends in what time of the year you come. But come prepared.

Don’t be shy.

Have a leader’s attitude.

Learn the schedule.

Give all you’ve got.

Make friends or else you’ll probably be lonely. It depends on your character.

Come prepared for a hard hike through the woods.

Don’t worry if you cry at the end of camp. It’s okay!

At the dance, you have to get over the fear of either dancing or asking someone you like to dance with you. That’s unless you don’t have these fears in the first place.

I had a lot of fun at camp because I followed all the steps that I previously wrote and explained. I always had a positive attitude, I talked, I got involved, I got over the fear of asking a girl that I liked to a dance. Yes, I’ve made a couple of mistakes in planning my session, but that’s how one learns. One learns from his mistakes. But I’ve always tried to have fun. I went boating, competed in the Olimpix, talked and played with everyone. I’ve mostly enjoyed the hangouts! When I played basketball, catch, football, ran, ect… At the hike we stopped by a river and I learned to skip rocks, I played in the very cold water, and then stood around the camp fire… ate marshmallows, and sang many songs with everyone around me. It was a very good time! I remember every morning coming out of my cabin, looking up at the mountains around me with their peeks covered in fog. It was always beautiful. At the dance, I asked a girl to dance with me! At first I was nervous, but luckily it wasn’t the first time I talked to her. But it was still hard; I have never done it before. But at the end, I did it and we had a great time together! Now we’re very good friends. At the end of camp I felt very down. It was hard for me to say goodbye to everyone I have made friends with! That last day of camp made me think of all the things I have done and experienced during those two weeks! The fun meal times every day, the activities, the hike, the friendships, the games, the jokes, the funny/silly things my friends and I have done together, the feelings that I felt… The great counselors that I had, that helped me every time I needed something. Especially during the hard hike that we had.

I can still remember the love from everyone at Frost Valley! Frost Valley YMCA is in my opinion one of the best places a kid could go to during either: spring, summer, fall or winter.

Visit the Overnight Summer Camp page to learn more about summer camp at Frost Valley.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frost Valley YMCA

Frost Valley YMCA is a 5,500-acre, year-round camp - There's something for everyone here in the Valley. From group and family retreats to overnight camps to horse camps to teambuilding, we've got you covered. School groups love taking a three-night field trip to explore the natural world and learn about the environment and their classmates. Family weekends are the perfect getaway for the young and the young at heart. Teambuilding retreats afford corporate, collegiate, religious, and other groups the opportunity to challenge themselves and effectively work toward common goals. In the summertime we're where kids and teens gain independence, explore the world, and make lifelong friends through various camps such as traditional sleepaway camp, farm camp, horse camp, adventure trips, and day camp. Call (845)985-2291 or email info@frostvalley.org to learn more today!