I cried the night before, with my camp friends surrounding my bunk, my counselor comforting me. Everyone was crying, and we all knew why. It was the last night we would be here... Until next year would come, when some of us wouldn't be here. It was in late August of 2007, my first year at Kinhaven.

Kinhaven is a camp for musically-active students in Weston, Vermont. Thanks to my clarinet coach, I had gotten into the Junior Session that lasted for two weeks in August. I was definitely nervous the first day, since I'd never been away from home, especially that far! I was a clarinet player from New York, unfamiliar with the sights of green everywhere. It was four hours of watching the winding roads until we finally reached the place I would call home for two short weeks...
I immediately fell in love with the place. After a few days of chamber group coachings, orchestra rehearsals, and a ton of fun, we would play at two small concert for the visiting parents on the weekend.

It was the last night we stayed that I cried hardest. I just couldn't believe the fun would end. I learned so much, made so many new friends, and created memories that would last a lifetime. It felt like home, just so comfortable. This was the end, though.

We played Shubert's Unfinished Symphony. It was pretty dark and intense, especially since everyone's ind was on the fact that we had to leave in just a few hours. I wanted to cry right after I played my loudest section. It was all over, and we finished the piece...

One of the faculty members helped with the recordings that the camp made for students. Every chamber group, every orchestra piece, every song sung, was all recorded, to the very last thing played.

After the heart-breaking goodbyes, the quiet ride home, and the gloomy unpacking, I pulled out the CD recordings and my camera that I had taken with me. Looking through the photos and listening to the recordings, I realized that they will never reveal the fun I really had while I was over there. It just doesn't cut it...

All I have are the joyful memories that I will never forget and the next year that will come where I make even more memories. I guess there's always a silver lining to a story like this.