In recent years, summer camps for grown-ups have been picking up speed. From arts and music programs, to digital detox sleepaways (complete with colour wars, of course), these getaways offer adults a chance to relive their childhood camping experiences.
For the rest of us, though, there’s the cottage. Here are 14 ways that heading to the cottage is basically an overnight camp for adults.
1. You’ll make new friends in record time. You might not give them a friendship bracelet after a cottage weekend, but you’ll be quick to Facebook-friend your nephew’s new girlfriend or sister’s work colleague.
2. It gives you a deep appreciation for the phrase “many hands make light work.” Summer camp is one of the first places that you learn how to cooperate to make the work go faster, whether it’s cleaning your cabin or washing your dishes. The cottage is no different, with everyone chipping in to maximize relaxation time.
3. There’s always a picky eater at the table. At the cottage, unfortunately, there’s a good chance it’s not a child.
4. There’s always someone with a secret stash of junk food. The good news is that adults are more likely to share—you just have to find the hidden goods first.
5. Someone will steal your stuff. No, you don’t need to write your name on all your underwear, but you’re almost guaranteed to catch someone using your sunscreen.
6. What you once wore to camp is what you now wear to the cottage. Comfort reigns supreme, especially since you’re no longer trying to impress that hot camp counsellor.
7. Sometimes, rainy days are the best days. They’re the perfect excuse to play board games and watch old movies.
8. It doesn’t matter how many scheduled activities there are—the time you spend outside will be what you appreciate most. Diving into the lake, walking in the woods and nighttime stargazing will be the highlights of your time away.
9. Campfire sing-alongs sound exactly the same. Don’t lie—someone is always bound to break out a round of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
10. Things are bound to get silly. Those moments where you can’t stop giggling, or laugh so hard that you can’t breathe? That’s another thing the camp and cottage have in common.
11. You might have to sleep in a bunk bed. There might not be a fight about who gets the top bunk, but you’ll still have to tolerate someone’s snoring.
12. You can’t wait to brag to all your friends back home. Rather than penning a letter though, you just post a picture to Instagram.
13. After the summer is over, you’ll spend countless hours looking at the pictures you took. Once upon a time, this meant spending your hard-earned allowance on developing your disposable camera. Today, it means scrolling back through your phone.
14. When it’s time to drive home at the end of the summer, you’ll have a hard time holding back the tears. The countdown will immediately begin next summer.
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