Mayim Bialik Tells Us Why She Hated Sleepaway Camp – Kveller
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Mayim Bialik Tells Us Why She Hated Sleepaway Camp

Before Mayim Bialik was known for her roles on Blossom and The Big Bang Theory, she was just a regular 10-year-old girl who was miserably homesick at sleepaway camp. Kveller had the chance to chat with the talented actress-author-neuroscientist and founder of media site Grok Nation about her summer camp memories.

Where did you go to camp? For how long? 

I went for one miserable week to Camp Swig in Northern California. I was 10. It was a lovely camp, I was the one who was miserable. ​

What’s your most embarrassing camp story?

​I peed my bed more than once. Cried so hard for my parents that the counselors removed me from the cabin so the other kids could fall asleep. I sat on the porch of the cabin with a counselor and cried my eyes out looking at pictures of my parents. When they sent me mail, that made it worse.​

Mayim Bialik

Mayim with the doll she got for going to summer camp

What do you remember about camp food?

​I liked eating breakfast cereal that had sugar since my mom never let me have that at home.​

Did you have a camp romance?

There was a boy named Josh R. I can’t recall how I snagged him since I basically remember crying all of the time.​ Maybe he was into that?!

Are you still in touch with your camp friends?

No. I hope everyone forgot how miserable and sad I was.​ Until this interview.​

Why do you think so many Jews love camp?

​Because our parents think they can teach us independence and how to be mature, but if we are made to be codependent like so many neurotic first-generation Americans raise their kids to be, it’s impossible to force me to try to disentangle at 10!!!​Camp Kveller

Camp Kveller is our series dedicated to all things summer camp.

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