It’s been literally forever since I sat down to write a new post and sadly, I can’t think of a good way to phrase my return to blogging – so, hello! How are you? If you weren’t aware, I spent the summer working and travelling in America after finally finishing university (I have a degree now!!).

Honestly, it sounds super cliché but I had the best time and made the most incredible memories, mostly because of some amazing new friends. Now that I’m back in the UK, I’m so excited to be able to sit down and write about time in the states and fondly remember the good, the bad and the ugly (and boy, did it get ugly at times).

So, what is summer camp and what was my actual job this summer? In America, a summer camp is typically a residential retreat for kids and teenagers who spend their summer living together and doing loads of  cool activities, which can be anything from swimming to aerial trapeze! Seriously though, it’s really not dissimilar to Camp Rock or High School Musical a lot of the time – the kids are super energetic 24/7 and yes, they do break into synchronised song and dance a tonne (and it can be pretty funny to join in and be silly!).

I worked at Camp Chen-A-Wanda for 2 months, which is based in Pennsylvania, and the majority of the staff fell under two categories; specialist or general counsellors. As a general counsellor, you’re like a big brother or sister to the campers as you get to live with them, experience their daily activities and trips whilst ensuring that they’re always having fun and staying safe. Comparatively, a specialist is placed into a specific department (e.g. Adventure or Waterfront) and has a specific skill/job role that they teach over the summer to the majority of campers (not just their own age division) as well as having the responsibility of living with a group of campers throughout the summer.

I said this from the moment I arrived to the moment I left, but the closest thing I can compare the experience of camp to is a cult. You might be reading this and thinking, really Holly, isn’t that kind of melodramatic? Didn’t you say you loved camp? Yes and no. When I arrived at camp, it was midnight and pouring with rain as I got driven up to a literal cabin in the middle of the woods with nothing but empty mattresses for company. Cult. During my first ever dinner at camp, all the returning staff flash-mobbed to Fireball (the most random song ever) in perfect synchronicity. Cult. Campers and returning staff seemed to literally speak a different language sometimes –  triple quad punishments? Gaga tournaments? A ‘Happy Birthday’ song with lyrics including, ‘stars in the air, people dying everywhere’??? Cult.

There were several times over the summer I had to pause and question, is this real life? Do people really live like this? Is this what I signed up for? The answer to all those questions, is yes. During the first week of camp, I did experience culture shock pretty intensely. It’s a common stereotype but Americans can be very loud and very direct, and sadly, do not always (sometimes, if ever?) understand sarcasm. Equally, they’re so upbeat and energetic all the time! Occasionally, it was just overwhelming. But looking back, I can say that camp really pushed me past what I considered to be my comfort zone and has made me a much happier, more confident person with a brand new set of best friends.

During orientation, this bubble-like environment could be quite exhausting and emotionally-draining; you’re constantly meeting new people and consequently re-introducing yourself on loop throughout the day. It’s very similar to being a Fresher at uni. You have to take in SO much new information about child protection, fire regulations and codes of conduct, all whilst worrying about where you can do laundry or what time is it back at home so you can talk to someone familiar. Saying all of this, you get to experience so many cool ‘firsts’ – whether that be a first s’more or a first Fourth of July celebration – with so many new friends and like-minded people.

Camp was honestly really invigorating for me. Completing my final year of university on top of working a part-time job and multiple internships had left me completely mentally and emotionally exhausted. Contrastingly, everything at camp was new and interesting and made me excited to wake up and see more. Something as seemingly insignificant as a late-night Walmart run led to some of my best memories of camp just because everyone was always so up for getting up and exploring and seeing more of our surroundings. Going shopping for art/costume supplies for different activities at camp? Beyond fun!

I think my favourite part about Chenny is that everyone’s individuality is a cause for celebration, whether you’re a seven year old camper or a first-time counsellor. I saw so many kids and staff alike carrying out random acts of kindness throughout the summer and being surrounded by that positive energy was just super-uplifting. Personally, people were just super kind to me, and made me feel really welcome in such a crazy environment!

A huge part of camp is obviously your relationship with the campers, and it genuinely was really nice to grow relationships with these kids you get assigned to live with and be able celebrate their achievements and commiserate their losses. Equally, I was so, so, so proud of my amazing co-counsellors and Division Head by the end of the summer (shoutout to Lauren, Jessie, Em and Maddy!), as at times it was incredibly hard work stretched over very long hours, to maintain a smiley façade and keep boosting team morale. However, we were a really great team and I always felt like I had someone to turn to whenever stuff got rough (which it definitely did).

For anyone considering camp: do it. I always used to hear and read about people calling it the best experience of their lives, and wonder if they truly meant it; and honestly, they’re not wrong. I was incredibly fortunate to be hired by such a fab camp and even though your girl is pretty damn poor right now, it was worth every penny for such a great summer. However, if you’re not willing to experience being dirty, silly, broke, sweaty, exhausted, super emotional, excited and stressed all in equal parts, then maybe camp isn’t for you.

Whilst the environment/weather/people/new experiences definitely uplifted my mental health, cleared up my skin and gave me a gazillion new freckles, it was also incredibly difficult at times. As a vegetarian, I did struggle with the food available and as a result, that definitely impacted my energy levels and physical well-being. Combine this with many excessively long days and nights and a lot of kid-related sleeplessness (massive props to all parents ever, oh my gosh) and you can become pretty sick if you’re not careful. It can also be extremely hard to keep in regular contact with people at home due to how rigorous and hectic your personal schedule is.

However, with everything I know now, would I still go back and do my summer at Chen-A-Wanda all over again? Absolutely.* 

So, you may be wondering, what’s my plan now? In terms of life, I’m re-adjusting to being at home and seeing where I want to go next. With my blog, I have a tonne of new ideas for content! Based on feedback from my Instagram polls, I’ve got travel diaries based on my summer that will be dropping on my blog over the next few weeks which cover more about the ‘fun’ side of camp/being in America for the summer. If you were interested in more camp/job related stuff, I’m also planning on doing a FAQ post soon too, so keep an eye out!

If you made it this far, thank you so much! If you’re still curious about everything I did over the summer, then definitely don’t forget to check back soon 🙂

Hol xo

~

*(I think I speak for all first time counsellors, however, when I say I would just definitely pack better…).