Last night, I was driving to the beach with some camp friends and we were shuffling through the iPod to find some appropriate road trip music. Before too long we settled on a camp playlist. As the songs played through, I was amazed once again at the connection that music can have with our memories. "Build me up, Buttercup" took me back to years of standing on the benches of the dining hall, trying to sing louder than the boys side. "I Think We're Alone Now" immediately brought back a dance my campers had done to the song for a "Battle of the Bands" type event, a good 5 or 6 years ago. "Welcome to the Jungle" signifies blockstacking every morning after breakfast. "Since U Been Gone" is a instant transport to Wednesday night camp dances, and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" makes me feel like I should be waiting in the dining hall for all the campers to come in so we can eat. "The Cha-Cha Slide" reminded me of the summer of 2002 when some friends got so annoyed with the frequency the song was played, that they formed ACE--the Anti Cha-Cha Establisment, and sat in the middle of the floor in protest every time the song came on. Taking me way back to my days as a camper was "I Want it That Way", and Miley's "See You Again" brought back some more recent memories.
There are hundreds of other songs that trigger camp in my brain. Some take me to dances, others to Friday night campfires, more to the dining hall, and some are more specific to certain summers or events, but regardless of where at camp a song may take me, I always enjoy finding a little bit of camp when I'm not expecting it.
