Long story short, I love people. I love being around other people. I love conversations that have the potential to be awkward but end up being wonderful with complete strangers. I especially love meeting new people. This personality trait of mine is what drove me to become a mentor to other people.

I haven't had a real summer since around 2012. Most people would probably cringe about not being able to go to beaches or any fun vacations (believe me, I definitely have too), but there are not many other places I'd rather be than around a lot of individuals who are younger than me that are searching for positive figures in their life. To be a legitimate camp counselor, here are a few things you need to at least look the part:

1. A great attitude.

I'm ridiculously optimistic, so this isn't too hard, but everyone suffers from the case of the burn outs every now and then. I get so exhausted from having to go through training and ice-breakers and about a billion activities every day, but the final outcome is always worth it. Remaining positive in the midst of chaos means so much to those who look up to you and will definitely improve their perception of whatever activity you're doing with them!

2. Chacos (maybe even a Chaco tan)

If you want to look like the hipster camp counselor most of us strive to be, Chacos (or any kind of sandal) are key. I'm definitely guilty of buying my pair just because everyone else had them and they looked cool. They weren't even that comfortable at first, but now I'm officially a counselor because of my Chacs. If you're really committed, a tan line from your beloved sandals will set you apart from the rest.

3. A water bottle decorated in stickers.

Are you even hydrating if you don't have a tricked out water bottle? Whether it's a Nalgene, Camelback, or my personal favorite, a super cheapo Walmart brand bottle, you have to personalize it with somewhat loud stickers in an attempt to set yourself apart from the rest. Girls (maybe some guys?), you might even have your monogram in a super curly font.

4. Khaki shorts.

People, I don't even like khaki. The only reason I have a pair of khaki shorts is because they were part of a uniform for two different camps I participated at for my college. I was hoping my Norts would be okay, but the beige shorts somewhat blending in with my legs will have to do.

5. Your handy dandy name tag.

There might be many other counselors working with you, so you usually wear a name tag (at least for a little bit in the beginning) to ease the anxiety and stress off of your campers of learning a million names in one day.

6. Somewhat decent memorization skills.

You'll definitely be greeting a ton of people to whatever camp/event you're at, so you usually have a little spiel you need to know that covers all of the information without completely overwhelming whoever you're talking to.

This is mainly humorous, and there is much more depth and detail to exactly what makes up camp counselors. These are surface level attributes, but with camp counselors, there is always so much more to us.