400 word essay

When I was 9 years old, I fell off the high monkey bars on top of one of my classmates. My teacher made me walk to the nurse. That night, I found out I had a separated bone and two fractures. Throughout my recovery, I did not receive one phone call, letter, a knock on the door or anything from a friend. I thought nothing of it. I just basked in the harmony of being able to miss a month of school; a month of Ramen noodles and Video games.
At 10, I had a realization. I didn’t have very many friends. Actually, I had one. And I didn’t like him. Every day after school, I would walk home, alone. I noticed the other kids walking together, laughing and having fun, but thought nothing of it. On Friday and Saturday nights, I would go out with my family, enjoy dinner and a movie. My parents set up play dates for me, but I was never interested in the same things these kids were. I didn’t have the social skills to build strong relationships with other people.
At 12, my parents sent me away to camp for four weeks during the summer. My brother had been going to camp for a few years, and just loved it. I didn’t know what to expect. Just finishing the 6th grade, I didn’t know much else than my family, school, Video Games and a few lousy friends. On the bus up to camp, I began to feel nervous. I had no video games no T.V., no parents and knew absolutely no one. I was more than nervous. I was terrified. The first day was rough. Everyone else had known each other for years.
Camp was the most amazing time of my life. I built stronger friendships that I had known possible and was more content sleeping in a wooden cabin with no electricity or air-conditioning than I had ever been.
Every year I go back to camp, I mature. I mature more in the month at camp than a year at home. At 17, I have a group of friends who I love and have been friends with for years now. I am not the antisocial Video Game fiend I once was. Given my age, I don’t know if I’ll be going back to camp this year. Either way, I owe it everything.