Yesterday was my first day of summer camp training and I’m just excited all over again! I worked in the same place about 3 years ago, and never realized how much I loved camp until I worked 3 horrible serving jobs for the in-between. This is where my heart is and I don’t think I could ever work in customer-service again.
Walking out to the “friendship circle” was so exciting for our first all-camp meeting yesterday.
Even though its been a while since I was there and the organization itself has renovated the main building, the camp area is all just as I remember it. I also got to meet with the site director and another counselor I will be working closely with this summer.
I found out recently that I will be at an “off-site” camp at a local park rather than at the main site of typical day-camp. We will meet at the main site and will then take a bus to this park which I believe is about 30min away. Though I was expecting to be placed in the typical camp where I worked before, I’m really excited about all of the resources we will have at one of the largest parks in the city. We will be able to fish, take nature hikes, and use the resource centers located right on the property! There are only a total of 4 counselors, plus our site director, who will be there everyday. This is much smaller than a typical camp which should make it a cozy atmosphere, given that we all get along relatively well.
Being at training and the same facility where I was 3 years ago really reminds me of how much I enjoy the group of people this organization attracts and how well this all works together. The funny thing is that the director and many of the other “higher-ups” at this place have changed drastically from when I was last here, and yet I still get the same feeling of an inclusive environment when I am there. For one, the director of family services (i.e. in charge of everything kids & camp) has changed from a mother in her late 30s to a fresh-to-the-workplace 25-year-old guy. This actually gives me hope that very soon in my future I will be able to have an actual adult job, given I only have 2 years until I’ll be in his place.
The nostalgia of all of this camp training and community-building, and song/game learning is getting me so excited for my choice of employment for the summer. I was even excited for my CPR, AED, and First Aid training today. Being back here also has sort of shown me how much I’ve grown since that first summer at camp. I have a so much better idea of what to do and how this whole idea of camp really works. I’m just hoping that even though we are at a camp that is a bit separated from the rest that we will have plenty of kids signed up. I know we will be a smaller camp but I can’t wait to do all of the fun things that this little park offers!
educated by the world 