Second semester still has a month left. Spring break is over and the focus is surviving the next few weeks to freedom (aka summer). As a camp counselor, you know your summer will be filled with funny kiddos, first-grade drama, days by the pool, constant field trips, tie dye shirts, bad tan lines, and khaki shorts. All things you can't wait to get back to.
1. You look at old photos from last summer
There are a ton of photos of you, other counselors and campers from last summer, so you look through those and reminisce on the good and bad (but mostly good) moments of last summer. Seeing your favorite campers in a photo makes you that much more excited to see them in person.
2. You are already shopping for shorts and new tennis shoes
You need to buy a few new pairs of tennis shoes for all the walking and running you will be doing. You also need to find new shorts because at some point last summer your shorts got destroyed by paint, dirt or food.
3. You're planning activities
You're thinking about all the activities you can do with your campers. Anytime you see something on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter or in classes, your mind immediately goes to camp and how you can't wait to see how the kids will react to that.
4. You can't stop thinking about your campers
They are not your kids. You only see them for three months every summer but when you see the same faces summer after summer you get a little bit deeper into their life and they get deeper into yours. You can how tall they are getting. You can tell the changing in their voices. You ask them about things they were thinking, wishing, struggling with and dreaming about last summer. It's amazing to see the changes a kid can go through and knowing them personally makes you feel like a proud parent.
5. You mention to all your friends about a thousand times your summer plans
Many of your friends are probably focused on making it to the end of the week but you're already in a summer state of mind. You tell people your summer plans when they don't even ask. You try to plan your trips to the beach and 4th of July festivities around work not because you have to (because you know, it's a job) but also because you want to.
To a camp counselor, nothing is better than summertime. Is it perfect? Definitely not. You still have the kids that get a little defiant and can be difficult to handle. It's long hours (but they are usually fun and worth it in the end). You get terrible, terrible tan lines and yeah after your 20th tie-dye shirt you probably won't be making it down the catwalk with the newest fashion trends, but you still love it.
Hurry up summer, we have some very excited college-aged counselors ready for you. And campers too I guess.
