Summer camp, middle school. It was an outdoor, stay-the-night sort of camp. One week in cabin with various activities, and one week on the “trail.” We were basically canoeing for a full week, cooking meals and sleeping in tents.

As a middle schooler, this experience was quite challenging. On top of the physical aspect, we were also away from home for two weeks!

On our second to last day of trail, our camp counselor told us that we would be portaging for 5 miles to the next river. Portaging is carrying the 80 pound canoe along with our supplies, including tents, food, cooking supplies, clothing, etc.

We took a break each mile, pulling off ticks and slapping mosquitoes. We could actually see the ticks crawling towards us as we sat in a circle, and we would either throw them or kill them. Finally, at long last, we reached the next lake. And what was waiting for us? A resort. We trudged through a vacation spot to the next river, with sunbathers and other beach goers all just staring at us. The divide in experiences yawned before us.

As we placed our canoe in the water, a girl, about our age, ran towards us. “This is all I could get from the cafeteria,” she said, handing each of us a packet of saltine crackers. We thanked her, and paddling away we each took a tiny break to appreciate the sunset and eat a saltine cracker. After eating some pretty bad food for the past week, and especially after that portage, that saltine cracker is probably the best food I’ve had in my life. It was a taste of society and a reminder of what we could look forward to when we returned.

- Lee Attar