By the time you start reading this, I will have hopped my first flight overseas. I'm going to London, England to experience what it is like to be a professional worker in a large and diverse city. This will be like no other thing I've ever done and I absolutely cannot wait.

Last summer, instead of going home to my beloved fast food job, I packed my bags and drove 12 hours to a summer camp in New York. I worked there for eight weeks watching over a group kids. I took them to activities and meals, and made friends with the other counselors from all over the country world.

But why?

Aside from all the friends I've made, there's so many reasons that I chose to work elsewhere.

"You need 2+ years experience."

I may not be getting experience in my field, mainly because I'm not completely sure what I want to do post MSU life, but I am getting experiences employers will look at. I learned valuable skills like childcare (in case my degree gets me nowhere and I have to nanny in hollywood) and I was pretty good at coordinating large events and activities with time constraints. That makes me sound like I was really, really important, sooooooo I'm more hireable already.

"We're look for someone who's flexible."

Working two jobs while going to school full time has made my time management skills no competition to the next person in line. I managed to keep a group of 21 girls alive for eight weeks through various maneuvers (and help from those co-counselors s/o to them). You say it, I will do it. I will literally pack up my bags and go anywhere you want me to. Just let my cat come.. pls.

"I wish I could do something like that."

I ended up at that summer camp on a literal whim. I didn't have the slightest clue who, what, or how. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people think they can't do things. I didn't even think about it, I just f**king did it, man.

If I could do anything I wanted in the whole wide world, why wouldn't I do them during my college summers? I could go home and see my mom and my family, my pets, but the way I see it, this is more beneficial to me. I have all these opportunities to do these things now, so why wait until I have to be a real adult and get a real adult job.

I wish you could see the look of disgust on my face just from thinking about that. Not all of your options are paid, and could be a little pricey in the long run (study abroad is not cheap, I repeat: not cheap), but it's worth every second. I made some of my best friends last summer, and I doubt this summer will be any different.

Check out Cool Works and Camp Staff for some fun opportunities!