Childhood Memory

TEXAS SWIMCAMP

          I have a ton of horrible and wonderful childhood memories but for some odd reason, I only seem to want to tell you about my trip to a Texas Swim camp. Before I tell you about my experience I need to tell you that I do not enjoy swimming…at all. I only do it for my dad because he loves swimming. So when I was about 2 years old my dad said “I wonder what our daughter is good at” so the first thing he does is plops me into the pool. After all those hard, long, excruciating practices I really got good at it. I started winning a bunch of trophies and medals; I even got an award for most corporation and effort from my coaches. So then, of course, my dad says “Andrea you are a talented swimmer…I think you should get pushed harder though.” And, of course, I moan and whine “Ughhhhhhhhhhhh”.

            “Work hard, and don’t disappoint me” my father said just before I boarded the plane to go to Texas. Some people would think “Yay! I’m going to Texas! I’m going to have so much fun, I’m going to party all night and sleep in, yippie!” but what I’m thinking is “No! I’m going to Texas! I’m going to swim, swim, swim! I’m going to work hard all day and I’m going to be tired and exhausted!; And I’m going to have to get up at 5:45 a.m!” (I was thinking of “Finding Nemo” when Dory says “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming!”)

            Finally we arrived to Houston, Texas. And since I was alone and my parents weren’t with me, I needed to find the person from the swim camp to take me to my dorm. After about 10 minutes I found them. (It wasn’t that hard because the person was wearing a bright orange shirt that said “Texas Swim camp”)

Its swim time I thought.

It turns out we had to swim 3 times a day with dryland(which is working out). The first time we swam was just warm-up, the second time was when we had to work hard, and the third….boy it was ALL OUT sprinting! I shared a dorm with 3 other girls and for the first week I really bonded with them. And by the end of the week it was like I’ve known them my whole life. Sadly every week you switch roommates. The camp is only supposed to be for a week, but, of course, my dad signed me up for 2 weeks. So my roommates left the camp and I was feeling sad and lonely and I suddenly got the urge to go home. I called my dad, crying, and told him that I want to go home and that he should come get me. I was desperate. My dad said he already paid the money for 2 weeks. Instead of being sad I got super angry, I hung up the phone, still crying.

            But I learned a lesson and it was a good experience. It was a good lesson because, when I grow up I’m not going to have my parents always with me, and sometimes I am going to feel alone. I need to learn how to deal with it. Because once I grow up, nobody will be making me breakfast, no one with be telling me to get up in the morning, and this camp made me get a feel for what it will be like in the real world. I learned how to get myself up in the morning, I went on a plane by myself, I took care of my bags, swim caps, and swim suits, and I learned to get to know people, and share a room with them, and  I haven’t even met before! So overall I hated this experience but I loved this experience at the same time. I hated the swimming part of it, but I loved getting to know people, and getting to learn how to do things by myself.