Some students see summer as a chance to lie out in the sun all day and escape from schoolwork. Others find themselves in the same camp every summer since they were young.

Reanna Gregory, Taylor Albano, and I attended a Young Life camp at Windy Gap Camp in Asheville, North Carolina last summer. Young Life, a religiously affiliated organization, offers programs for middle school, high school, and college aged students as well as adults.

On our way to camp, we spent 14 hours on a bus stuffing our faces with chips and slushies. Upon arrival, our phones were taken so we could truly enjoy our week in the mountains. We spent our days riding horses, playing games, in the pool, diving in the mud, sliding into the lake, hiking, mountain biking, go-carting, and eating.

Junior, Reanna, says, “It was a life-changing experience that I will remember forever.” She looks forward to returning to Windy Gap this summer.

Sarah Karp is excited to travel to India this summer for Rustic Pathways, a service and travel program for travelers ranging from age 14 to adult. Sarah will be working in an orphanage while experiencing the Indian culture. Kaitlyn Eckhard will also be taking a trip with Rustic Pathways to India for a program called “Service in the Clouds.” She will be working with school children, monks, and nuns in a small, Himalayan Indian village.

Claire Coronetet will return to Rustic Pathways for programs in Australia and New Zealand. Last year she was in Thailand working in elephant rehabilitation.

Cammy Harris will be traveling to Northwestern University to pursue her love of acting. She will be take daily classes on acting techniques. At the end of the program, all the students will get together to stage a final production. Harris say “It’s my number one school, so I’m really excited to get to know the school as well as the techniques used in the acting program.”

Juniors Morgan Woods and Emma Henson will also be exploring their passions. They have both been accepted to one of the most prestigious writing camps in the United States: the Iowa Young Writers Studio.

Emma Henson says, “The art of writing is learning how to be bold, and it’s difficult to be bold when you aren’t surrounded by people who don’t frighten easily. I’m looking forward to Iowa because writers are unflappable. They support your psychosis.”

Graduating senior, Zoe Genkin explains her summer adventures. “I’m a camp counselor at a sleep away camp. Last summer I had 4th and 5th graders, and I will probably have them again. It’s two months of 24/7.”

Summer is a great time to catch up on sleep or summer work, but take some time for yourself and do something interesting. Whether its playing in the sand or traveling across the world, make your summer one to remember.