There are over 100 different summer camps in Maine, giving kids ranging from ages 6-18 the summers of their lives. Maine and summer camp have gone hand in hand since the beginning of time (well, not really). Many summer camps have created a second “home” to campers during the limited amount of time they are in Maine. To quote Philip Phillips’ song Home:

“Just know you’re not alone
‘Cause I’m gonna make this place your home.”

Some kids and teens are obsessed with their summer camp. As they do consider it their “second home”, they live the 10 months of the year waiting for summer to roll around, so they can be with their friends at camp (and be in Maine of course, since that’s what OTMR is all about). They change their Facebook profiles to say, “Works at Camp ____” and “Lives in ______, Maine”.

The idea of home is an interesting one. It’s kind of a philosophical issue, really. In order to dig a little deeper into this, we must first understand the difference of “house” and “home”. A house is a structure, where one goes home to every day and sleep there. A home does not necessarily have to be one’s house. People can have multiple homes (and multiple houses too, but that’s another matter). If you spend so much time with your grandparents, you may consider their house to be your home.

How does this relate back to Maine? Ah, yes. Summer camp. The joyous time of the year, where kids congregate from around the country (and the world, even) and spend their summer on Maine’s lakes and in Maine’s forests. Summer camp is a place for kids to “make themselves at home”. And as cliché as that sounds, these summers become a defining moment in the futures of these kids and teens, as this is an experience that they will never forget.

You can expect more about Maine summer camps in future posts. In the meantime, check out Maine Camp Experience’s website, representing a community of summer camps dedicated to finding the perfect summer camp for kids. It has some valuable and interesting information to all past, present and future Maine campers.