Camp Counselor

So if you have been reading my blog for a while, you have probably read many posts about my time in Washington as a camp counselor. I did this 2 years ago and while it was a trying time in my life it was also one of the experiences I look back fondly on. I shared with you about my server life so now I want to share with you about my counselor life.

 

Here is what I learned for those fun 3 months.

 

1.) You will never catch up on your lack of sleep. You have to be the last to go to sleep and the first to wake up which means maybe 4-6 hours a sleep a night. And when the weekend comes there is just too much fun to be had so you stay up even later and get up even earlier.

 

2.) Everyone has that one kid who drives them crazy. I found myself showing more love to those kids. Whenever their counselor would shoo them away, I would come up beside them and talk with them. It definitely made me practice patience, but for some reason I have a love for kids who are defiant.

 

3.) Every camper just wants to be loved. They all want to be your favorite (even the ones who act like they hate you). With that said, you do not tell one camper they are your favorite just let them all be your favorite.

 

4.) Your camp name is your secret weapon. The instant those kids know your first name you've lost control. I was Indy for the entire summer and I only had one week where the girls in my cabin figured out my name because it was on my blanket. Live in your camp name because no one back at home is going to call you it, they will just look at you like you are some weirdo.

 

5.) Good luck not smelling like campfire. This is my least favorite smell ever, but I rocked it for 3 months.

 

6.) Cherish break time. Don't get caught up in staff drama. Take your break time to shower or catch up on sleep. You do not need to check facebook.

 

7.) Forget about wearing makeup and if you can't do that, then wear it minimally. Campers don't care what you look like.

 

8.) Swim with your kids. All my campers wanted me to do was swim with them so I would; plus it doubles as a shower, just not a super clean one.

 

9.) Sing those camp songs at the top of your lungs, because no one at home is going to love them as much as your camp friends.

10.) Cherish your camp counselor friendships. Even if you live in different states, they will be some of your closest friends.

I am sure there are more things, but these are my top ones for right now.

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