How My Week Away From My Parents Taught Me About The Value of Friendships

Band camp was a yearly excursion I took with my fellow band friends. I spent a week in a small country town in Ohio at a camp where you could only play music, march, swim in the pool, or talk with the other 100 band members and staff.

Band camp was always known as the worst week of  summer because of the long practices in the boiling sun, frozen-cooked meals, the irritation of being around everyone,  and the eventual homesickness, but this year was different. There was so much added sentiment to this year because this was my last band camp.

The week started off with the routine morning workouts, practices, and meals, but it ended with some of the best memories. I had friends in band, but if it were not for band, I would not have been friends with some of them. That week, I learned the importance of real human interaction. Each day felt prolonged because of continuous rigor of work, but I felt so much joy in the day because life was so simple. I had very little time thinking about my home life, responsibilities, or senior year worries. There was so much more time to talk with the girls in my cabin about the simple pleasures in their lives: their boyfriends, families, dreams, values, and beliefs. I almost felt like I was learning about all these humble perspectives (financial and family burdens) without even leaving Ohio or the country.

We spent our free time gossiping, playing games with the underclassmen, and going to the pool. At night, we seniors planned senior pranks, ate junk food, and played games like never have I ever. For once, I actually felt like a kid in a small world. An ambitious kid that had confidence in herself, believed in her dreams, and spent her days laughing and smiling.

Towards the end of the week, I realized the people I was going to be leaving behind after this year. Everyone including the freshmen were crying because, as seniors, we were not going to be coming back ever. This is just another part of high school, but band was an experience that meant so much more. I don’t know if I will keep in touch with any of my friends in band after high school, but I knew I would always remember all the memories because those were the times when I was able to know people as they were, raw.

Today’s world will always be fast-paced, but it is our job to take time off to disconnect from the daily stress of life to connect with people.