What's It Like Coming to Camp with a Sister?

The only thing better than being at camp? Getting to share it with someone you love! And who better to experience Greystone with than a a sister - or several?

We’ve seen from personal experience how much a sibling relationship can grow when you’re away at camp together, but we wanted to check in with a few of our long-time Greystone families to see what they love about sharing camp with each other. Their stories made us laugh and want to cheer (those packing pictures at the end!!) and we just had to share them with you.

So whether you came with a sister long ago, are thinking about sending your daughters, or are an only child dreaming about what it would be like, scroll on for a little dose of happiness on this Monday. There were never such devoted sisters as these Greystone Girls!

The Galvan Sisters

Lula (14), Penny (12), and Vera (10) all attended Main Camp together for the first time in 2019, after being at various sessions together and separately since Lula’s first year in 2013.

What’s the best thing about being at camp with your sisters?

• “When you’re not a letter writer you can still get updates from your writer sisters…and inside jokes! You can tell friends at home about camp but only fellow campers REALLY understand.”- Lula
• “Snuggles during bad storms! I would run upstairs to Lula when I was little.” - Penny
• “Always having a living connection to your other favorite place - home when you are at camp, and camp when you are at home!” - Vera

What is it like being at camp together?

“The dynamic between us at camp is different I think because we get a chance to miss each other. At home we share a room and bathroom and every meal and many activities. We always know what each other is doing. At camp, even at the same session we are apart a lot. It makes it exciting when we see each other across camp or at meals. Carnival is always fun to dance and catch up with each other. And taking classes together is great!

We’re all different - Mom likes to say, “Same batter, different cookies”- and camp gives us each a chance to pour into our individual likes.” Lula likes Fishing and Theatre and Reading (and reading!). Penny goes up, up, and away at every chance- High Ropes and Diving, and Vera can be found with the puppies or doing pottery.

“We also each bring memory boards from home with photos of each other, parents and friends. Even if they are only a few cabins over it is a comforting to see your sisters’ faces before bed.”

The Khanna Sisters

Anjali (16) and twins Maya and Mira (14) have been coming to camp since 2014, but 2021 will be their 4th year together at the same session. They love getting to share the experiences and fun that you have at camp with someone from home.

“We love coming home and sharing all the stories from camp with our family and friends. Growing and enjoying time in our favorite place together always brings us closer. We come back from camp happier and more kind to each other.

We always pack together before camp. We always try to take classes together too. In the past we’ve taken Swimming and Waterpark all together. We also all tried Knitting for the first time together.”

The Duvall Sisters

Lisle (15) and Mills (11) have been coming to Greystone for 7 years, but have spent two years together at the same session. They love having a little piece of home with them at camp!

“We really connect at camp. We’re just so glad to be together at camp where we are so happy. We don’t pick on each other like we sometimes do at home. We just have fun!”

Lisle loves to go say good night to Mills every night. And she loves Mills’ friends and feeling like a big sis to them too! Mills feels more at home when she sees Lisle before bed.

“We love having the bond of camp all year long! It’s so fun to talk about our memories and camp stories!”

The Ausband Sisters

Neely (16) and Drew (14) have been coming to camp almost their whole lives, and many of those summers they were at the same session together (and with their older sister, Wakefield!).

What do you love about being at camp with your sister?

• “Having an easy person you can go to, a constant variable. It’s easier to talk to her about if I’m homesick or if something’s happening with me because she knows me better than anyone. Being at camp with a sister is much different than being home with them because at home we have the same family but at camp, we are all one big family but have a small separate “cabin family” and don’t run in the same circles.” - Neely
• “I love being able to go to camp while still having someone you already know there to make me feel more comfortable and I can be friends with her friends in the other age group.” - Drew

The first year they were at camp together, “every day for the first week of camp [Neely] would go see Drew right before the Call to Quarters blew to say goodnight, then it became a routine, and it was nice getting to see her.”

The Laffitte Sisters

Lowndes (14) has been at camp for 7 summers, and her sister Lucy (12) has joined her at Main camp the last two. They like to catch up during Candy Shoppe or at EP, and always try to take a class together.

What’s the best part about being at camp together?

• “Both getting the escape and us both being able to grow and mature while being away. Our relationship at camp is different since we don’t see each other constantly we have to plan and reach out to visit and catch up. This makes our DMC’s much more meaningful.” - Lowndes
• “If I ever need someone to talk to I can always go to Lowndes and she can comfort me and give me advice. When I’m at home and ever need advice I usually go to my parents but when I’m at camp I have Lowndes there for me.” - Lucy

What’s one of your favorite camp memories together?

“A memory I have with Lucy is from our last summer, it was during supper and somehow Lucy got hot water spilled on her and she wasn’t injured but it scared her and she wanted to find me. It just happened to be a night when there was music playing and everyone was standing on their chairs singing. Lucy found me and I took her to the Health Hut. She got an ice pack and instead of quickly returning to the dining hall we walked around and sat on the benches overlooking the lake. It was a sweet moment that we spent talking before returning back to crazy camp life where we have different lives happening.” - Lowndes

“I remember that it was 3 years ago and it was a Sunday during free time and Lowndes and I were on the Eno’s together and I happened to lose balance and tried to catch myself. My arm grabbed her Eno to save myself from falling which made both of us fall out together and we laid on the ground laughing until then next bell was rung for us to go back to our cabins and clean up.” - Lucy

The Petronzio Sisters

Triplets Gabby, Caroline, and Sophie (14) have been together every year, and Lulu (11) joined them three years ago. “Even though we have sometimes gotten a little bit homesick, we have never been nervous about going to camp because our sisters are always there.”

What’s the best part about being at camp with your sisters?

“We can always come to each other and feel like we have a part of home with us. Whenever you feel a little homesick you remember that you have a home at Camp Greystone but you also have a piece of home when your sisters are with you. It is different from being at home because we are not in the same building and we are not constantly together, but still love seeing each other and spending time in little spurts throughout the day.

In some ways, it’s like Camp is the best place for us to be individuals because at home we have always shared a room and go to the same school with many of the same classes and teachers. At camp, we always ask to be in separate cabins and have bunk mates who are our close friends, like camp sisters. Camp is one of the only places where we can actually all do different things at the same time, regardless of what our sisters are doing. Gabby will be at fishing or photography, Caroline will be at archery or broadway, Sophie will be at high ropes or cooking and Lulu will be at farm and garden or ceramics. We have a lot of fun at Camp and sometimes get along even better there because we aren’t with each other all of the time, and the vibe at Camp is so positive. We wish it could always be that way!”

How does packing go with all four of you?

“My mom has an assembly line going when it’s time to pack for camp, so we help with that and double/triple check the lists to make sure everyone has everything they need. Fun fact: for the first three years we went to camp, we brought entirely matching clothing for every day of camp with each outfit for each day in a zip lock bag. I think my mom was disappointed when she saw the pictures and we weren’t wearing the same outfits on the same day!”

Do you have any favorite memories of being at camp together?

“One year Caroline and Sophie were in bunks in separate cabins but could see each other’s beds because they had windows that faced each other. They would shine flashlights back and forth, but the counselors didn’t really love that. But it was our way of reassuring each other at night.

We all remember when Gabby caught the BIG fish and we were all so happy for her because it’s her favorite thing to do. Her award was something like “smallest camper, biggest fish” because the fish was almost as big as she was!

I also remember the time when Lulu felt homesick and she just wanted a hug so she came to me (Sophie). It’s the little moments like that that make camp like a home away from home.

The other big memory of camp is the trip to and from Greystone every year. We are always so crammed in with so many duffels and bags, but we are so excited that it doesn’t matter at all. We have to get two rooms at the hotel and we all share double beds and no one can sleep. On Opening Day, someone is always the slow breakfast eater while someone else is waiting in the car to head to camp and we have to check 20 times to make sure we didn’t leave anything or anyone behind. Then on the way home from camp, when we are tired and everything is dirty and doesn’t quite fit in the car the same way, the car ride isn’t so awesome…although we are super excited to tell stories to our parents and everyone is talking over everyone else like crazy—until someone falls asleep.”