For our Meet A Camper series we’re interviewing returning campers to see why they’re coming back to Camp Bonfire, Real Summer Camp for Adults.
Our first Camper is Cara from Chester County, right outside of Philadelphia.
What is a fun memory you have from Camp Bonfire?
I walked over to the bonfire by myself because I didn’t know anyone (I decided to just sign up for this thing and not tell anyone until I got back) and figured I’d go over, check it out and head back to the cabin. But I quickly met awesome people and stayed until the ice got dumped on the embers at the very end.
On my way back to my cabin I walked past the basketball courts and I somehow ended up playing basketball and laughing a whole lot. I haven’t played basketball since forever, it was the middle of the night and no one was telling me to go to bed or that I couldn’t play basketball at that hour. That’s when it hit me I was at a grown-ass adult camp.
The next morning it was fun to see someone you played middle-of-the-night-basketball with a few hours earlier at breakfast and be like- here we are again, just some adults having coffee and being at camp.
Why did you decide to come back to Camp Bonfire?
I decided to come back to adult camp because on top of all the obvious reasons- like fun and new people and that it’s a summer camp for adults– there’s also a pretty practical reason: it’s an interesting experience that I can do on my own. A lot of trips/experiences for people-on-their-own get expensive pretty quickly. This is manageable, it’s all-inclusive, and I don’t have to bother booking a flight. I know I won’t be the only person there not part of a group, and I also know that there are so many options for things to do once I get there, that it’s going to be a different experience. It’s basically a real-life “Choose Your Own Adventure”.
What’s something you’re looking forward to at this summer’s Camp Bonfire?
I look forward to being more outgoing, fully realizing that I’m welcome to sit with anyone without hesitation, and dancing. I don’t want to say I regret anything, but I really shouldn’t have been standing on the sidelines during the dance party.
What do you do for work and/or play when you’re not at Camp Bonfire?
When I’m not spending a long weekend in a cabin at adult camp I work for a nonprofit raising money through grants, writing, and social media. I do improv and storytelling, co-organize TEDxPhoenixville, take as many classes as I possibly can (through Girl Develop It and things like that), and win an obscene number of contests in my free time.
Ready to join Cara at Camp Bonfire? Register today, spaces are limited.
Photo: Cara (with the umbrella) representing her team during camp olympics. Credit: Paul Gargagliano for Hazel Photo
Want to read more from a camper’s perspective? Jetsetter Magazine sent a reporter to our grown up summer camp or you can read the second interview in our Meet An Adult Camp Camper series.