Maine was all I wanted and more. It was a home for 11 weeks. I made life long friends there and the thought of not seeing them again is leaving a ache in my heart.

I am exhausted and drained of everything. I'm also incredibly happy and not just because I'm home but because I know I accomplished something great. Something that not everyone could do. It was tough, it was hard and yet here I am thinking about next summer and going back. I'm also thinking about the girls that I have met this summer. The people that have changed my life. Kippewa means the world to me now. It's not because this summer was all rainbows and butterflies and that every moment I loved it. Instead it's because walking away from Kippewa was one of the most difficult things ever. It's the silliest place on Earth. It's a bubble of ridiculous. Sometimes it's a bubble you can't escape and something you try to hide from or get space from but you always seem to want to be back inside that bubble (and sometimes you don't). Nowhere else in the world is it socially acceptable to stand on benches and sing Hey Juliet. It's not socially acceptable to randomly break out in dance because you are bored or the person you are with is bored and you need to entertain them.

There were also hard days. Terrible days. Days when I couldn't remember why I went. Times when I didn't want to sing and dance just to cheer a kid up because I wanted to sit and cry with them. Days when I consoled a homesick child for hours when I would have given anything to see my parents. Hours when you help a co-counselor in a time of need when you felt like you already had too much weighing on you. Moments when you were never by yourself but you felt so alone. Yet, here I am sitting in my room, in my home and all I want to do is talk to Elisa. I want to hug Lauren. I want to walk down to the lake and see Katie, Lindsey and Sian. I want to tell Natasha about my day. I want to giggle with Jade. I want to eat in the lodge and listen to the kids mindless chatter. I want to fall asleep to the sound of Maine.

It's good to be home but it's see you later, not goodbye.