Finn’s recollection of her time at camp typically begins with “I didn’t like it and I wanted to come home,” which makes me feel really good about the whole experience. She’ll go into exhaustive detail about what she didn’t like, starting with two annoying girls she was stuck with the whole week, and then list the mosquitoes, the food, the lousy mattresses, the snoring, and the cold.

Writing for the weekly mailbag at Defector, Albert Burnenko answered a reader question about this phenomena which put it into better perspective for me:

The funny thing here, Pete, is that the kids are enjoying themselves. Your daughter and nephew had a great time. They will remember that trip to Michigan for the rest of their lives. In their adulthood they will spend money and time trying to organize vacations that they will hope can replicate the simple and unspoiled joy that will be all they remember of that trip to Michigan. If you are lucky, you will hear them talking about it, and you will smile a private little smile at your memory of how they complained the entire time, and if you are wise and merciful you will know not to spoil their memory by reminding them of this.