Reflecting back on summer camp as a child; you probably remember swimming in the pool with your friends, painting your nails, fishing your Tarzan and Jane toys out of the lake after a 6th grader threw them in… (Or maybe that was just me) but there is no doubt everyone remembers that one crazy camp counselor. You know, the one that woke up blasting Lion King every morning?
All of these memories led me to apply for a camp counselor position at Camp Pinewood in Hendersonville, NC. Was I ready to be in charge of 10 kids for two months? Absolutely not. Although I was excited to spend my summer playing outdoors, it didn’t take me long to realize how challenging it was going to be.
My “mommy duties” started the first night I arrived when I had to sleep in a bunk with one of my campers until 4am. By “sleep” I mean I played with her hair, told stories about princesses, listened to the Pandora sleep station, I even sang to try to get her to sleep. After 4 long hours, it finally worked! I am now a professional at battling homesickness. My parenting duties didn’t stop there. From teaching campers about their period for the first time to helping them get over their recent heartbreak, I dealt with it all.
There is one day each week a counselor lives for; their day off. Whether it be on a beach, in a hotel room, or in the staff parking lot squeezed in a van with 15 other people- you party. Your new best friends, camp boyfriend (yes, everyone has a camp hookup) and the weird girl from Ohio will ALWAYS end up at a townie bar where everyone wears Nascar t-shirts and cowboy boots. This dysfunctional sounding night will end up being one of the most memorable nights of your life. Mine, of course, always ended dramatically. i.e. A high speed car chase by a group of illegal immigrants.
Word gets around at camp though. By breakfast everyone knows your dirty secrets, which person you called annoying, and possibly the story behind your co-counselors trip to the baby doctor. (Was she really pregnant? We may never know.)
The point is, not everything at summer camp is just water balloon fights and sing-a-longs. Pranks, hot hook-ups, and sketchy midnight McDonalds runs make camp living an adventure. At the end, you forget the stress, tears and homesickness and only remember the amazing memories you made. Camp is a place where you will meet your life long best friends, and undoubtedly have the best summer of your life.