It is hard to believe that summer is coming up after blizzard Jonas covered DC with white beautiful snow. But, believe it or not, in just about four short months, bikinis and sunbathing will be back on the schedule. As summer rolls around, most people my age are looking for internships and jobs to build up their resumés. When people ask me what my plans for the summer are I proudly tell them that I am going back to be a counselor at my overnight camp that I have been attending since 2006. The looks I get from my friends are priceless when I tell them of my plans. So many people just simply do not understand why I choose to keep going back to camp year after year. In some regards, I can totally understand their bewilderment. You have to spend at least eight weeks away from home, the pay is crummy, the food is questionable, and the kids (to nicely put it) are not always angels. So why will I be going back to the middle of nowhere Indiana for the eleventh year in the row? For these top five reasons:
1. To Spend Time With My Best Friends
For the past ten summers, I have been able to meet so many incredible people who I would never have the opportunity to meet if it were not for camp. Being at camp builds such a special bond that is truly irreplaceable.
2. To Escape the Cut Throat Environment
Going to college, especially in DC, can create a lot of high pressures. Being able to escape to rural Indiana, where the biggest concern is should we take the campers to the lake or the pool, is a much needed escape.
3. To be in an Accepting Environment
Camp is a place where everyone is free to be themselves without receiving any judgment. You can be totally loud, crazy, spontaneous…and people will love you even more for it.
4. To Have the Chance of Being a Kid Again
In a society where kids and teens are under so much pressure to grow up, it is great to have a place where being a kid is totally okay and even encouraged. The coolest counselor may or may not be the most into campfires, color war, and creating raids to pull on the opposite gender cabin!
5. To Give Kids the Experiences I Had
My camp transformed me into the person that I am today. It gave me some of my best friends, amazing memories, and a sense of independence and confidence that I do not think I could receive anywhere else. Camp has touched my life in such a positive way that I love to help my campers get what I got from camp.