Last spring, I accepted a job to work at a summer camp. The camp was over 3,000 miles away from where I reside--an East-Coast-to-West-Coast-type of change. But I was thrilled for a summer of new experiences and adventure. Little did I know, however, just how wonderful and incredible this opportunity truly would be for me.
At this moment, I find myself even luckier because in less than a month, I get to go back to that same camp and have another wonderful summer.
If you've ever worked with kids, you already understand how tiring it can be. You work long days, with little time off, but for some reason you wouldn't want to spend your days any other way. If you've ever been a camp counselor, you truly understand what 'running on empty' means, but how rewarding it is when a camper tells you that you're they're favorite counselor or that they learned something new because of you. The smile campers wear on their faces, easily puts a smile on your face without a second thought.
Working at a summer camp has taught me that I can never eat too many s'mores and that my stomach can always handle seconds on the garlic bread. Working at a summer camp has taught me that I can wear the same leggings or shorts for a week straight and no one will notice or judge my lack of clothing diversity. It has also taught me that you can truly make a camper's summer the best one they have ever experienced. As counselors, this is much more than a summer job; it's an opportunity to make an impact on a child's life.
While I work at the barn at camp, I find my impact to be with campers and horses. For me, there is no better feeling than getting a new-timer comfortable with the horse they're riding. To teach a camper how to jump for the first time, I think might make me more excited than them. Other counselors can teach things they're really good at and consider their specialty to be in, or they might teach an activity completely new to them. But the most important part, is creating a fun, enjoyable, and exciting activity for the campers. If you're a camp counselor, when your camper is happy, so are you.
In less than a month, I get to go back to a place that I'd like to consider a second home. I'll get to reunite with the friends I made last summer, mostly from all over, as well as meet new ones. I met people from other countries and states, and if I hadn't gone to camp, I never would've considered some of my best friends to be in places like North Carolina or Arizona (two places I have yet to visit.) I think camp counselors share a special type of bond, that we understand how crazy we can be, just to put on a good campfire skit. We're the type of people that aren't afraid to get out of their comfort zones and do some bizarre dance, just to get a laugh. I think camp counselors are connected for life, and for that I am forever thankful.
While we camp counselors are usually college aged or around that, we don't usually know what summer will be our last as a camp counselor. But this makes the summer even more worth it for me. I hope to be a counselor for as long as I can, but I know that there will be that final summer. However, the summer days we do spend as counselors must be lived to the fullest. We get to work with people from all over the world and make a child's summer truly unforgettable. I wouldn't want to spend my summer any other way.
