It's imperative that growing adults make sure that they're getting the most out of their summers. Whether that's living it up or getting a professional internship, it's always important to keep in mind that summers are spent wisely. Being in college and trying to figure out what you're going to do for the rest of your life is never easy. But deciding what to do with your summers in between those years is even harder. Do you go for a job that will get you the most money so you can plan ahead? Or do you go for one of those free-spirited summers because you're unsure if you'll ever get that chance after your graduate?

Normally I would listen to my dad's voice in my head that would say, "You'd better save up now." But this summer I ignored his voice in my head and decided that this summer would be the summer I'd let my free spirit soar. Against my parent's wishes, I'm spending my first summer away from home at an unbelievably magical summer camp on the Oregon coast. After being here for six weeks, I want to share why I think that every college student should spend at least one of their summers working at a summer camp.

You Stay Busy

This is one of my favorite things about camp. You're so incredibly busy that you don't have time to worry about all of your everyday worries. You're really living in the moment every single day, staying busy and being outdoors. Another wonderful part about being so busy is that you're forced to be disconnected. The beauty about it is that you don't mind because you're constantly presented with things to do. In my opinion, everyone can afford to disconnect for awhile.

You Learn to Appreciate the Small Things

Being around young kids that much is good for the soul and gives you new life. There's nothing like being surrounded by imaginative and innocent minds. Their outlooks on life are so simple and refreshing; it really makes you miss being so careless. Nonetheless, kids will never hold back anything they see. If your breath smells bad or your hair is crazy, they don't see the problem with letting you know. Just being around that kind of uncomplicated thinking makes you start to re-appreciate the simpler things.

You Appreciate Money More

In the end it's not about the money at all, but the difference you made in the kids' lives. The pay isn't great, but it reminds you that you don't need money to be happy. I've always been constantly worrying about money, but camp has made me realize that it's not something that I need to be happy. If you're thinking it's not economically practical for you, you should know that it's worth taking a leap for.

You Learn So Much About Yourself

Selflessness is an unspoken learned characteristic you adopt while you're at camp. You're so busy all the time that you don't have time to think about yourself, because your kids are your number one priority. I've never worked so closely with kids this much before, but I've learned applicable problem-solving skills. The thing about camp is that you have no choice but to expect the unexpected. Everyday you're presented with a new challenge, but there's never a time when there's no solution; you just have to figure out what works. You force your brain to think around things like you've never had to do before. It's enlightening and rewarding all at once.

You Gain Lifelong Friends

The community you're surrounded by at camp will be like none you've ever had at any other job. You get swallowed into an open community full of the most selfless, kooky and compelling individuals. Without the expectation, you will unintentionally become close with just about every single one of those individuals. Aside from the kids I've worked with, the community is what really makes my experience so special. My bosses feel more like friends I've had for a lifetime, and it just feels weird calling my co-workers "co-workers." They're more like family to me now.

Everyone here has such amazing stories, and I wish I had time to sit down and pick their brains. For example, there's one counselor who's studied Buddhism and it makes sense when you talk to him. He's one of the most calm and intellectually compelling people. Then there's another guy who's just always so energetic and involved in camp. He's the spirit of camp and happiness all in one body. There are people who travelled from foreign countries to work at this camp. One of them is a lawyer from Argentina who's here to learn better English, and is just so purely here to learn about the American culture. There's another girl who I have this sassy back-and-forth friendship with in front of all the kids, but I have much love for her. There's just something about all of these people that makes me feel appreciated and cared about.

It might be hard to see yourself giving up one of your summers to work with new people and kids while not getting paid that much, but I can assure you that it's worth it. Living in the moment is one of the most liberating experiences I've ever had. I don't want to speak on behalf of every summer camp out there, but I would work here for the rest of my life if I could. Anyone can go one summer to do something new, and this could be your something new. It will definitely change you for the better. Thank you Camp Westwind!