Summer means many things to different people. To some, it means freedom from school, the beginning of vacation, or the endless possibilities of what could fill the long hot days. For junior Ella Johnson, summer meant going to one of her favorite places in the world, Camp Nellie Huckins. Driving down the dirt road and through the white gates meant she would be reunited with her friends after a full year of being away from her summer home. Camp was always a place she could stay up late having dance parties, sharing secrets with friends under the stars, and finding herself in a place that was her own, away from everything she knew at home.

Johnson first attended Camp Nellie Huckins, an all girls YMCA camp in New Hampshire, when she was eight years old. She has gone back every summer since, tallying a total of seven summers at camp, 14 weeks in total.

“All of the best moments were the small things that happened randomly. The late nights talking with friends, trying to go for a run and dying, morning swims, singing on the tables, dressing up like crazy people for lunches and more,” Johnson said.

Johnson enjoyed going to an all-girls camp more than a co-ed camp because of the welcoming and accepting environment the all-girls feel created.

“I never really considered how they would be different because I started going to camp so young, but in the end I’m definitely glad I went to an all-girls camp. Being around all girls all the time was uplifting and fun. There was so much we didn’t have to worry about that we would have considered had there been guys there,” Johnson said.

To Johnson, attending summer camp taught her many valuable lessons.

“[Going to] camp introduced me to a lot of different types of people and situations. I think camp helped me get over a lot of my insecurities. Camp taught me how to be away from home with people I didn’t necessarily know super well. This will definitely come in handy when going to college,” Johnson said.

Staying connected with camp friends is important to Johnson. She does so by reaching out on social media, texting and Snapchat.

“I love seeing what everyone is up to. I have lunch with some camp friends every once in awhile. I visited one of my camp friends last summer. This summer, I hope to go to the camp reunion to see people,” Johnson said.

Even though Johnson does not believe she will return to Huckins as a counselor or staff member, she is eager to return for the alumni weekends and stay connected in other ways.

“Huckins was such an amazing community that I hope to stay connected to,” Johnson said. “I want to send my kids to camp. I had so much fun, and I would love to share that with my kids.”