During the summer of 5th grade I went to summer camp in Idyllwild. The camp was called ISOMATA and it was like a arts summer camp. I took a poetry class and it was fun. I remember curse words were especially hilarious that summer. I sold a copy of my TLC cassette tape single of Waterfalls for spending money because people had brought their walkmans but didn't realize that radio reception in the mountains was poor.

That summer I met a girl named Diana, she was Japanese, I think, but she was dating some kid named William, who was in whatever program she was participating in, I think it was a dance one. Towards the end of the two weeks, there was a "dance" and she was very sad at the "dance" because William was somewhat of a jerk. And I asked her why she was dating him and she said something like because he asked her out.

On the last day of camp, everybody had a presentation of their projects or musical recital or dance show for the parents who were driving up to pick up their kids. Diana and some other kids from my camp came to watch me recite my poem. Then afterwards, watching another friends' performance, sitting on a giant rock, I had my first real, serious, conversation with a girl. I can't remember what we talked about, but I think I asked her about her family and how it felt to be Japanese and Caucasian since I didn't have that experience in my life. I'm pretty sure I loved her, after one conversation. I was 11.

After I got home from the camp, I realized I didn't have her phone number or address. And when I got my pictures developed, I didn't even have one of those. The best I had was a picture of her in the background, in the shadows, that my father took of me during my poem presentation. Other students had to sit on the side of the stage so the parents could get center seating and Diana was barely in the background. So in order to find her, I did what I thought would be best. I wrote a letter to the summer camp director asking if they could give me the address even though I knew it was against the law to give out something like that. I promised in the letter that I was really her friend at camp and I wrote about how I knew her from the camp and I gave them all of my information too so they could double check to make sure I really had been a camp participant. I got no response.

Death Cab for Cutie - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)