Lessons from the Unplugged Life: Rediscovering My Inner Child

When I returned for the second session at Camp Walden, everything felt different. I knew the schedule, the routines, and the rhythm of the days – but more importantly, I knew myself here. The nerves from the first week had faded, and in their place came something unexpected: my inner child.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned from my campers is how to be a kid again, how to throw yourself into every moment with the same joy, energy, and curiosity they do. Every activity became an adventure: splashing in the lake, running barefoot through the grass, laughing until my cheeks hurt over an inside joke. Even something as simple as a meal felt special when you shared it surrounded by friends.

I realised that when you let go – really let go – of self-consciousness and the constant pull of technology, you find a new kind of freedom. Without phones in hand, the staff and I joined in more games, sang louder at campfires, and stayed up just a little later swapping stories. The more we played, the more the campers played; the more joy we showed, the more joy they found.

And it wasn’t just fun. It was connection. When you’re laughing, singing, or even competing in a relay race together, you see people for who they really are. No filters, no feeds. Just the raw and genuine version of each other.

By the end of the session, I realised something important: Growing up doesn’t mean growing out of joy. Sometimes you just need a reminder – or, in my case, a group of campers – to show you how to find it again.