Being a camp counselor is the most rewarding job, however, we like to say it is the hardest job you’ll ever love. This saying is so true. You work 24 hours a day (Yes, you are technically working while you are sleeping), you don’t have breaks, it’s hot, and it can be so draining but it gives you so much joy, you make the strongest bonds with the kids and other counselors, you get to be a kid again and have fun, you will try new things when you join in on the activities. My list of positives will go on forever.
Some of the many things I have gotten out of being a camp counselor are: You make new friends. I have made so many friends from all over the world, which is so special when you get to visit them. You become best friends with someone in 1 day. You are with each other 24 hours a day so connections are so strong and formed so fast. I am not joking when I say these friendships will last a lifetime. You’re also meeting so many different types of people that you may not meet in your regular lives. You learn so much. It might be that you learn new things about yourself or new skills that will help in the outside world. If you are teaching/coaching a sport or activity you will usually be doing this for up to 6 hours a day. Your coaching experience has just been fast-tracked majorly. You will learn several life lessons while also teaching those life lessons to your campers. You get to try new things and have new life experiences. During camp with your campers, you may be able to join in on their activities like a high ropes course or archery, which you may never have done before. I also now get to say that I worked as a counselor at a sleep-away summer camp, which not many people can say they have experienced. My favourite thing is that they are technology free so you have to live in the moment and be present, which opens you to more connections and experiences. You feel amazing. You’re pretty much paid to be healthy. You get 3 meals a day that is made for you. Most if not all camps have some sort of salad bar for lunch and dinner. You get to be outside all day every day for 6-11 weeks. Your tan will look fresh, those funny tan lines won’t though. They will make you and your friends laugh at the short tan lines, watch tan lines and even the Chaco tan lines. Most camps are on a lake so you get to be in the water which feels so good. And you will have stories for days, ah I mean years. “This one time at band camp”. I can’t tell you how true this is. You will find yourself talking about camp so much that your friends who didn’t go to camp will get sick of it (they are just jealous that they were stuck in an office all summer long). These stories will be your most prized possessions.
You might hear the term camp bubble, camp goggles and whatnot. I never could understand how on dating shows and reality shows people can couple up and fall in love so fast. Well, I understand now. Camp is one massive bubble. You spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with these people, so you make such strong connections with people so fast. You see people multiple times a day so you have many interactions. Whereas in your regular life you might only see someone once a week. So you can see why connections are formed so fast. This also means that a lot of drama happens. I like to keep a journal when I am at camp and it is so funny to read back on all the drama and the people I was hung up on for 3 days. When you’re at camp though, you don’t even realise what is happening, and how fast things are moving since one day at camp feels like a week but one week feels like a day. By this I mean there is so much packed in your day. In the morning you talk to your co-counselors about the drama from last night, then you have breakfast, then you teach your morning activities and you talk to your activity co-counselors about what they heard then you have lunch and rest hour so you share more drama you heard and they tell you more, then you have afternoon activities and you share more drama again, then you might be off that night so you live through new drama then the cycle starts all over again.
So besides what you get out of camp, you might want to know what a regular day looks like. In the morning you usually get up slightly earlier than your campers to get ready and some camps have meetings then as well. You then get your campers up and ready and clean the cabin. After you would head to breakfast with everyone and then off to your morning activities. This is going to look slightly different at every camp. Then you will have lunch. Usually following lunch is a rest hour, you play games, chat and hang out with your campers. Then it’s off to your afternoon activities, again this looks slightly different at each camp. My camp has some free time for the older kids before dinner, this time also includes shower hour for the campers. We head to dinner after our free time. Then you and your campers get ready for the night activity, which might be your whole camp together or just your age group. These night events are my favourite, campfires where your campers perform, everyone sings songs together while looking at the fire and the stars, is just so magical.
I have made being a camp counselor sound so fun and that it is the best experience. Which it is. But being a camp counselor is not for everyone. You need to have an open mind, willing to work long hours, sacrifice your home life and the outside world for a few months, be ready to have your patience tested, willing to work and live with kids (yes I know this seems obvious but it’s true) and be ready to give up all privacy. I think that knowing yourself will help you to make this decision as to if it is right for you. I do think that everyone should try it. If you’re introverted this can help you practice being more extroverted, making friends and trying new things. If you’re extroverted you get to be silly and loud, you’re with people all the time. Like I said at the start, being a camp counselor is the hardest job you will ever love. If you’re thinking about it just do it.
If you would like any more insider knowledge about being a camp counselor or have some questions, please feel free to reach out on Instagram @shalyntravelstheworld
