For those of you who don't know, this summer I spent two months working as a camp counselor at Camp DeWolfe, which is on Long Island in New York. As well as being a general counselor I also co-lead the challenge course which was AWESOME FUN and involved rockclimbing, high ropes and low ropes. Yeah. Pretty sweeeeeet. (and I gained genuine actual muscles in my arms from all the belaying. Jussayin'. #hardcore.)
I really wanted to write this blog post because things keep reminding me of camp and set me off on "oh! at camp this happened.." or "this summer we did this with the kids.." or "it was so funny, we did this this and this.." and I know not everyone is interested, or I'll get halfway through a story and realise that the person I'm talking to is not completely paying attention or just being polite and I should probably stop talking because those small stories and memories aren't much interest to people who weren't there. Which I don't mind, but I need somewhere to shove all the really cool, and somewhat personal, parts of my summer at camp that aren't just "Yeah it was so amazing, the campers were great, I loved it, I did rockclimbing with the kids and there was the beach only like two minutes away and american food is weird but they have PUDDING which is great and no I didn't come back with an accent but I will be calling the toilet the 'bathroom' until I readjust."
Missing camp life- the beauty of our natural surroundings, the campers, my friends (who basically became my summer family)- sort of feels to me like a heartbreak (not that I'd know for sure having never been in a relationship, let alone had my heart broken over one. But thats besides the point). Which sounds and feels really insane to me but I dont think I've ever been more sad at leaving a group of people ever in my life ever. The day we said goodbye I cried (quietly and respectfully, mind) on four different types of public transport, breaking my previous record of one, yay. It just hit me that the people I'd spent two solid months with, who'd helped me out and been so much fun to be around, weren't going to be around any more and not only that, but some of them will be in a different country and different timezone which totally sucks and who knows if all of us will ever be together again because of circumstances and the flopping ocean, not cool.
This whole experience has definitely changed me (oh the cliché, it hurts). For instance I am totally a fan of peanut butter now. And I have arm muscles! Did I mention those yet? I HAVE THEM. I am pretty proud, not gonna lie. And I've got to make the most of them because they totally will not last. But in all seriousness being a camp counselor this summer definitely has made me more independent and confident and just generally more like 'I can do anything! Yeah! Go team!' which is cool and something I am thankful for, especially because I'm off to university in two weeks. (Two. Weeks. What.)
So, I've decided to write a series of posts 'that one time at summer camp' over the next few weeks or so for myself and whoever is interested, they won't be in any particualr order but will be small memories of my summer at camp which was the best ever and I totally recommend that if you have a free summer and are thinking of doing it then go for it, seriously.
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