Being A Camp Counselor - What It's Really Like

  Just before my second semester of college ended, I was encouraged by my mom to apply to be a summer camp counselor at a camp that was about thirty minutes away from my hometown. I'd been there a few times before as a kid, and remembered the camp in a fond light. Shortly after my mom made the suggestion, I had a phone interview with the summer camp director, and soon after that, a new job.
  I remember how anxious I felt driving to the camp with my bags packed for a ten-week contract I'd signed to stay at the camp and be a counselor. I'd given up basically my entire summer.
  When I first arrived, I met the program staff leaders and the camp directors and all of my fellow co-counselors. I automatically felt welcomed and at-home, despite how nervous I still felt. Little did I know at the moment: I met my future sister-in-law and brother-in-law that day for the very first time in my life.
  Throughout the next ten weeks, we trained physically, mentally, and emotionally for what it took to be a counselor to the kids that would come to the camp. After the two weeks of training ended, and campers came, I eventually was selected to be the sailing counselor that summer, (an assistant to the sailing director), I learned how to sail, I became a certified lifeguard, I was certified in CPR/AED/First Aid Pro that summer, I grew to know some of the most important people in my life to this day, I learned to (somehow) function on an average of three hours of sleep and still act like the most excited person alive for the campers, I was able to learn what it meant to lead, I learned how handle homesickness in my campers, how to be a listener, how to talk about Jesus, how to not be afraid to be the loudest person in the room, and how to truly be myself.
  Of course, none of this was taught to me easily. There were some points where I felt like I couldn't handle it anymore. Camp is an immersing experience. People don't lie when they say that "camp life is a bubble". We weren't allowed on our phones, and when we were, it was rare and short. Camp is all you know as life for a number of weeks, and that's why it's such a growing and painfully self-manifesting time-- you're unable to hide yourself from the growth that occurs in you.
  After that first year, I'm happy to say that I've met people while working there that I will call my closest friends for the rest of my life. I met Joey there. I met my family there. Camp is awesome.
  So, if you asked me: unless you want to give-up your summer, run around with kids for weeks-on-end, dig deeper into yourself, heavily step out of your comfort zone, and learn things about life and yourself that you've never learned before, then you shouldn't be a camp counselor-- because truth is, it's difficult, but still so rewarding.
  Being a camp counselor is one of the best things I've ever done. It was the best job I've had and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat if I could.

kati