Attending sleep away camp each summer from 2007 to 2013 made for the best six weeks of my year. I came home each August with the most amazing memories and friends that I still cherish to this day. Sleepaway camp, in general, is a very special place. For those who have not attended, it is difficult to explain how meaningful my camp had meant to me.
Despite my love for my summer home, I was on the fence about returning to camp as a counselor this past summer. I had heard that the differences between being a camper and a counselor were quite contrasting, and I became fearful. However, after getting through my first summer a staff member, I can now say that returning to work there was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
There are so many positive qualities I had from my seven weeks this past summer. For the first time, I met people from all over the world- and I mean literally all over the entire world. England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Brazil, and of course all across the United States. These strangers that I could never have envisioned meeting even months earlier quickly became some of my best friends. Luckily, I was also still surrounded by some of the great friends (including my brother and sister) whom I knew from my days as a camper, for they too had also returned to work.
Besides the incredible people I was lucky to befriend, the best part about working at camp last summer was the actual work. Many days were stressful and I often counted down the hours until I could sign-out and hang out with friends in the staff lounge, but I never took my work responsibilities for granted. It is a feeling unlike any other being able to make a positive difference in a camper's life. This especially resonated with me since I was a camper at this same camp for many years too, when I was younger.
One of the great traditions at my camp is the annual Color Week, which pits the blue team versus the gold team in competitions involving athletics, arts & crafts, and other creative activities you'd only find at summer camp. The final night of Color Week brings heavy emotions to all, both campers and counselors, as the night essentially marks the end of camp for the year. Upon returning to my cabin at the end of the night, I broke down crying after one of my campers explained to me how I truly made his summer so much better. I was happy to hear such a powerful compliment, but at the same time, I was extremely upset to leave a place that I feel so comfortable at.
I am unsure of my plans for next summer, but regardless of where I end up, I know that I will always have this past summer to reminisce about. While working at sleep away camp will one day leave me, the memories and friends I have made in just one summer are there forever.
