American Summers & Canadian Winters

Another amazing thing about spending your summer working at a summer camp is the opportunity to travel the USA after! America is HUGE and so you might find yourself spoilt for choice in terms of places you want to visit within your given time frame (and with your available funds!).  I travelled to so many amazing places in my two years as a Camp Counsellor and I have been able to see so many incredible things! I was able to travel with friends I made at camp and we all had so many ideas of where we wanted to go and how we wanted to see each place. Organising your trip can be daunting but it is important. We experienced our fair share of unforeseen misfortunes along the way but it only made the overall experience more memorable.  I have considered all of the places I visited over my two summers and come up with a list of  my top 4 favourite places  that you should definitely consider visiting.  4. New York Everyone has to visit Ne...

A summer spent by the ocean, surrounded by amazing people and countless campfires. It all sounds perfect. But, being a camp counsellor is no easy feat and there is bound to be a few bumps in your journey through the summer. From lack of sleep and new bug bites to menacing storms that cast dark cloud over your usual positive mood. Prepare yourself for these bumps and get yourself through your summer with minimal stress.  1.      Say goodbye to your diet plan Any low carb, non-fat regime you had in place before you came to camp will inevitably be scrapped as you fill up on chicken nuggets, tacos, pizza, pizza and somehow more pizza. Embrace your new food routine as well as the cheese on your fingers…    2.       Say goodbye to Mr Shut-eye Prepare yourself for the lack of sleep and early mornings! Try to fit in a nap wherever you can. Whether that be on the floor of the staff room during your lunch break or in the bac...

Working as a camp counsellor is both ridiculously exhausting and one of the most rewarding jobs ever. It allows you to realise a whole world of new experiences and meet people who will change your life forever. However, a job so draining does not come without its unforgiving truths; You spend most of your time trying to persuade other people’s kid’s to apply sunscreen   You don’t even like the taste of coffee, you only drink it as a necessity to keep you going   You plan on staying up late and hang out with your co-workers, but you always end up in bed by 8pm   You can never take a trip to Walmart without spending more than $40... Any hygiene standards you might have had completely disappear:  You choose sleep over a shower more than you'd care to admit. You are constantly sweaty and all you can do is embrace it. You sometimes wonder if you have completely forgotten how to apply make-up or brush your hair… You hav...

No matter how much you try to prepare yourself for your first summer as a camp counsellor, you will always be surprised when you arrive. I never thought I would get to experience half of the things I was able to at camp. I believe that the best thing to do is to leave all expectations at home and take on your adventure as it comes. However, these small insights might help you to approach your first summer. This job will be challenging, but rewarding.  Granted, you are going to be exhausted and have absolutely no alone time. But, you have the opportunity to impact so many lives. To campers you are what makes camp and you are the reason they keep coming back every year. It is important to remember that such a demanding job has so much to give in return.   This may be the only job you have where you get to embrace the great outdoors 24/7. You are surrounded by nature that is stunning even through the darkest storms. I was lucky enough to get to be out on the wat...

I remember reading about being a camp counsellor as I was filling out my Camp America application almost 2 years ago. I read that it is “the toughest job you will ever love.” It wasn’t until after 2 summers of laughter, tears and many water fights that I realised how true this statement really is. But, It is the best thing I have ever done and I want to convince anyone who is considering applying to the programme to go ahead and do it. Here are 8 reasons why it will be the best thing you ever do: 1. You get to form amazing friendships with people from all over the world!  These friendships will no doubt last a lifetime and you would travel half the world just for the chance to squeeze them again. It’s amazing how quickly people go from complete strangers to your best friends. Best friends that you laugh and gossip with, stargaze with and spend hours making friendship bracelets for.        2. You get to meet so many amazing k...