As high school students, many typically mingle with their classmates and people they meet through mutual friends. However, it is more difficult for them to form deep connections outside of their established inner circle.
Nonetheless, there are ways of meeting loved ones elsewhere. For example, many students form connections with the people they meet at sleepaway camp and summer programs.
“The people at my camp make it a home away from home. Since it’s a nature-based camp, we all share the same interest, and it’s hard to find people like that everywhere,” Miami Palmetto Senior High junior Lucille Hargrove said.
People often say “distance makes the heart grow fonder,” and for many, there could not be a more accurate phrase. Being away from those one deeply cares about often highlights how much they shape one’s life and just how much they are missed when they are not around.
“Returning feels effortless; we pick up conversation like we never left, almost like a built-in family,” Hargrove said.
Spending time away from those one sees every single day is rejuvenating; it feels like taking a breath of fresh air, standing far away from reality. It allows people to be whatever version of themselves they want, away from the pressure of everyday life.
Having a home away from home instills the same feelings of comfort one feels at home with their family, except without the surrounding chaos of reality. It allows people to feel connected without their obligations and responsibilities filling up their minds.
For junior Tesa Willette, that sense of belonging comes from family and a culture thousands of miles away.
“My home away from home is definitely Chile, and people make this feel like home because my family and friends are from there, and when I get there, I feel so welcome. We all come together and take advantage of the time we have there. It feels so beautiful because the moments I spend there, no time is wasted, and we all just value each other’s presence and make the most out of the time we have with each other,” Miami Palmetto Senior High junior Tesa Willette said.
Even after long periods apart, returning to a place that feels like home reminds people exactly where they belong.
“Since I’ve been gone for a long time, returning always feels the best because it feels like coming back to a part of my life that I don’t always get to be with, and I feel so complete when I’m there. I don’t see them often, but they are my family and closest friends,” Willette said.
Whether found at summer camp or a country thousands of miles away, people prove that distance does not weaken connections, but rather, strengthens them.
