When deciding on choosing to work at a camp, there were a lot of things that ran through my mind. Did I really want to spend my summer waking up at 7:30am? Did I want to spend eight hours a day, five days a week out in the scorching hot sun chasing kids around? Did I want to give up doing activities during the week because I knew I would be too tired after work every day to go out? A million questions ran through my mind when I thought about doing this for the summer.
While I still did not have the answers to those questions, I decided to just go for it. I knew that I would still get to have a summer for two months before camp started. I never went to a traditional camp as a kid and wanted to have the experience.
Now that I’m in my fourth week of camp as a counselor, I have found the answers to my million questions that I had asked myself. Yes, I absolutely want to spend eight hours a day, five days a week out in the scorching hot sun chasing around kids. Yes, I am okay with giving up weekday activities; I could always do them on the weekend. Yes, I want to spend my summer waking up at 7:30am- well, maybe I’m still trying to work on that one. All of the things I was worried about have left my mind.
I love every second of being a camp counselor. I love being outside all day running around. It sure beats staying at home and lying on the couch watching TV all day! There is nothing more rewarding than watching the kids in my group excel. Each child will have that one activity they seem to struggle with and it is the greatest feeling in the world getting to see them get better and better each day.
Counselors are role models to the campers. I didn’t realize how true that was until I became a counselor and got to experience it. My campers show up to camp every day with big smiles, excited to see their counselors. They run towards us as soon as they get out of their cars. As we walk from activity to activity, they run to hold my hand and we chat about how their night was as we walk. When it is time for dismissal, they all make sure to give hugs to all of their counselors before they leave. These kids really look up to their counselors.
It is a big responsibility to look after kids. Although it is a job, there really is not a big difference between campers and counselors. Counselors are just campers at heart. We get more into the themed days than the campers do. I have a great time at work and have fun while doing so.
At the end of the day when I come home exhausted, smelling of suntan lotion and chlorine, I realize that there is no other summer job that I would rather have. I love being a camp counselor and wouldn’t trade it for the world.
