When I was in elementary school, there was nothing I looked forward to more than Girl Scout Camp.

Each summer I would count down the days until I ventured to nearby Lake Bloomington for a week full of fun with my best friend. With a sleeping bag in one hand and my favorite stuffed animal in the other, I drove through the Camp Peairs’ gates feeling excited!

And extremely nervous.

Having seen countless campers on EIU’s campus this past month, the memories of my beloved days at Girl Scout Camp have resurfaced. The first summer I went to camp without one of my friends by my side, I did not think I would make it through the week. On day one I kept to myself, remaining quiet and timid-a far cry from my normally loud and outgoing personality.

This was my first time attending camp during the Horse Lovers’ session, so I did not know what to expect. I was assigned to a tent with three girls who were the best of friends. It was their third summer attending this session, so I wanted to impress them.

Unfortunately, I let my nervous energy get the best of me and was too afraid to get on a horse the next day. So much for impressing my fellow campers! I huddled on my cot that night feeling like a failure, completely disappointed in myself.

The next morning I awoke with a new attitude. Rather than deciding to fake sick or call my parents, I got on that horse. I was nervous and scared when we started to move, but by the time we had completed the trail I was having a blast. And along the ride, I even made some new friends. The four of us who shared a tent were inseparable for the remainder of the week.

Strangely enough, the emotions I felt the first day of camp each summer-nervousness, shyness, self-consciousness and excitement-are familiar companions once again. I may no longer be a Girl Scout, separated from my friends and family for a week, but it is almost as if I am back at the gates of Camp Peairs once again.

This summer marks my first semester of college. I decided to start early at EIU to get involved with the newspaper and TV station and jump-start my education. The summer session will hopefully make the transition to college life easier for me this coming fall.

With the semester already halfway over, I have gotten a preview of what will be a much bigger transition into independence. While I am living on my own in my very first apartment, my parents insist that I come home every weekend, so I still have a foot in both places-college and my comfortable home.

During my first week on campus everything was so unfamiliar and overwhelming that I began to question all of the choices I had made. Did I pick the right school? Can I handle this major? Are my goals unrealistic?

But after facing a very temporary crisis (aka tears), I began to adapt.

My experience at Eastern so far has been promising. I still get nervous about little things, like using my Panther card at the library or finding my way around the Rec Center. But with each new situation, I develop more knowledge and courage that will help me this fall.

In August, I will know how to introduce myself to a complete stranger with whom I’ll be living for the next nine months. I will know what to do if my computer won’t connect to the network like it should. And I’ll even know what to do if a professor’s online quizzes have some glitches.

I guess 10 years later I have relearned a lesson from Girl Scout Camp. When I’m feeling stupid and out of my element, I’ll just have to get up on that horse, click my heels, and move forward.

Maybe I’ll be galloping before too long.