Meredith, I think anything our parents *made* us do probably didn't go over very well, did it? :) I realized when you said that about church camp, that going to church camp was completely my idea—my older brother never even went. That probably made a big difference. Also, your description of the dorm basement mass is really moving. "...we all came with intent....Our small group was coming together, learning together in a way that felt like true fellowship." That sounds just right. 

Dave, you're right, there's something very meta going on here. Camp itself can be so intense and such a unique experience that you end up feeling slightly disoriented and out of it for a while when you go home. Essentially, what's happening at church camp is you're talking about life and faith and various struggles, all within the context of this other intense experience. Thanks for helping me link these ideas together!

Lance, the way you acknowledged my love for camp, followed by your own experience ("it was good") makes me realize how individualized these experiences are. I was pretty much wired for that kind of experience, but I know there must have been kids there who were miserable, at the very same camp. Your experience sounds somewhere in between. But then this retreat you went to really struck a chord—it could have been that particular time in your life, or the format and setting of the retreat. The point is, I guess, that we each need our own "camp experience," in a way that resonates with us. And we need different experiences at different times in our lives.