Hands up if you are missing the summer. Don’t worry, it is completely normal and if you’re not, we will be asking questions. The year feels like it is really dragging and we would rather that camp was just around the corner again. You have already spent a few months back in the ‘real world’, but nothing quite compares to when you are in the world of XUK.
Here is our best advice to help you cope with camp deprivation this winter...
You’ll know the feeling, you are telling a hilarious story from camp to your friends, family, dog or the local shop keeper, crying with laughter and you do not even get a chuckle out of them. It was probably a ‘had to be there’ moment. Don’t ever stop telling the stories though, one day somebody might find it just as funny as you do. Camp deprivation is something anybody who has not ever attended a camp, will probably never get or understand your deprivation. “How can you miss people you only see for a limited time each year?” Easily...
Hopefully, you would have taken hundreds of photos over the summer (do not fear if you didn’t you’ll find yourself in plenty on our Flickr pages) and might have collected a few over things like receipts, tickets and postcards during your stay. Create an XUK memory box or scrapbook to remember the good times. Whenever you are feeling down, you have something to turn to and put a smile on your face again as you reminisce. ‘The fond memories made at your favourite place on earth will always have a special place in your heart.’
We are very lucky that we live in a time where we can talk to anybody in the world through modern technology. If you are feeling camp sick this winter, connect with your camp friends. Have a laugh over Skype or FaceTime, tag each other in #ThrowbackThursdays. And if you are lucky enough to live on the same continent or in the same country as some of your XUK friends, arrange a road trip to meet up!
They say you should live for the moment and not wish your life away, but there is no harm in counting down the days until you are back in your happy place, XUK! You might want to get creative and make something like a plaque where you can change the number each day or have something more simple like a countdown app on your phone. Whatever you choose, remember, every morning when you wake up, you are a day closer to XUK beginning again!
We can all get through this together. Summer 2019 will be here before we know it...