Camp
The Start
Hi friends!
I was thinking about how awful I am at communicating with my friends, and I was thinking about all the stories from my week of camp that I would tell my friends if I was face to face with them. But I don’t just reach out to people and say “Hey, here’s something that happened at camp today that I think you would enjoy to keep up with my life!”
So here’s my solution.
Because I like to know what people’s days are like, the little day-to-day activities that get lost in the shuffle of greater memories, I’m going to be sharing mine. To be perfectly honest, this feels kind of self centered and just more like a public form of journaling. As I’m writing this out, my brain is screaming, “No one cares Alex! Your life is not important enough to read about!”
Fair enough. Take this as an invitation to leave this site and never come back if you agree with me. You have enough things competing for your attention, and my little thoughts don’t have to be a part of that.
The thing that is consuming my life right now is camp. I work as a day camp counselor to 5 and 6 year old girls, affectionately known as the Gazelles. As this is my fifth year working at camp, I know a thing or two about how to nod at gibberish coming out of a 4 year old’s mouth, reminding a 5 year old to flush and wash their hands, and make sure a 6 year old participates in activities and doesn’t say mean things to other campers.
A couple of things that have happened during the first week of camp that have stuck in my mind are: a camper running straight into the glass portion of an open door, this same camper later having a 15 minute meltdown because she didn’t get to be the tagger in the group game of tag, a camper sobbing because we didn’t have a popsicle for her at the moment and she couldn’t wait for another counselor to get another one, me teaching a fourth grade boy how to make a Chinese staircase friendship bracelet (he currently has 3 on his wrist), and the whole group of Gazelles getting derailed in science when Mrs. O asked what we could use to heat things up and someone started to talk about their sunburn.
It’s exhausting as ever. Being on eight and a half hours (and then some) really takes it out of you the first week. I spent my first month of summer saying I would work on my honors thesis in the afternoons after camp (spoiler: I’ve looked at my data for maybe one hour).
But really, this week has been the first time where I have truly loved my job. I love getting to know all my campers, and I love when I can remember a camper’s name from last year or saying hi to a kid in another group when we pass in the hallway. I love teaching the Gazelles how to make a box stitch, even when I find 85% of the gimp I cut and start strewn across the floor, forgotten for easier and more instantly gratifying games. I love when one of my campers who was scared to touch the rock wall at the beginning of the week gets halfway up, and they then descend back to the floor grinning about how they climbed higher than I can reach.
I’d tell you that I’m wiped and I wish I had more time to read and waste away my days, but in truth I’m excited when I get out of bed and when I see my camper’s faces. I can’t wait to sit in the arts and crafts room and banter with some of the older campers. I’m too tired to think about my senior year of college approaching and the rest of my life because I’m busy building memories for kids that won’t remember this day a year from now.
I was thinking about how awful I am at communicating with my friends, and I was thinking about all the stories from my week of camp that I would tell my friends if I was face to face with them. But I don’t just reach out to people and say “Hey, here’s something that happened at camp today that I think you would enjoy to keep up with my life!”
So here’s my solution.
Because I like to know what people’s days are like, the little day-to-day activities that get lost in the shuffle of greater memories, I’m going to be sharing mine. To be perfectly honest, this feels kind of self centered and just more like a public form of journaling. As I’m writing this out, my brain is screaming, “No one cares Alex! Your life is not important enough to read about!”
Fair enough. Take this as an invitation to leave this site and never come back if you agree with me. You have enough things competing for your attention, and my little thoughts don’t have to be a part of that.
The thing that is consuming my life right now is camp. I work as a day camp counselor to 5 and 6 year old girls, affectionately known as the Gazelles. As this is my fifth year working at camp, I know a thing or two about how to nod at gibberish coming out of a 4 year old’s mouth, reminding a 5 year old to flush and wash their hands, and make sure a 6 year old participates in activities and doesn’t say mean things to other campers.
A couple of things that have happened during the first week of camp that have stuck in my mind are: a camper running straight into the glass portion of an open door, this same camper later having a 15 minute meltdown because she didn’t get to be the tagger in the group game of tag, a camper sobbing because we didn’t have a popsicle for her at the moment and she couldn’t wait for another counselor to get another one, me teaching a fourth grade boy how to make a Chinese staircase friendship bracelet (he currently has 3 on his wrist), and the whole group of Gazelles getting derailed in science when Mrs. O asked what we could use to heat things up and someone started to talk about their sunburn.
It’s exhausting as ever. Being on eight and a half hours (and then some) really takes it out of you the first week. I spent my first month of summer saying I would work on my honors thesis in the afternoons after camp (spoiler: I’ve looked at my data for maybe one hour).
But really, this week has been the first time where I have truly loved my job. I love getting to know all my campers, and I love when I can remember a camper’s name from last year or saying hi to a kid in another group when we pass in the hallway. I love teaching the Gazelles how to make a box stitch, even when I find 85% of the gimp I cut and start strewn across the floor, forgotten for easier and more instantly gratifying games. I love when one of my campers who was scared to touch the rock wall at the beginning of the week gets halfway up, and they then descend back to the floor grinning about how they climbed higher than I can reach.
I’d tell you that I’m wiped and I wish I had more time to read and waste away my days, but in truth I’m excited when I get out of bed and when I see my camper’s faces. I can’t wait to sit in the arts and crafts room and banter with some of the older campers. I’m too tired to think about my senior year of college approaching and the rest of my life because I’m busy building memories for kids that won’t remember this day a year from now.
If you’ve ever had a texting conversation with me (or even a face to face one), you know I’m also really bad at closings. When I write essays, I try to end by opening up the very narrow idea that I just wrote 6 or so pages on and relate it to the wider world. It doesn’t really work that way with conversations, so I usually just make some excuse and bid you goodnight so I read or sleep. Instead, I’m going to leave you with some stuff that I have enjoyed in the last week or so.
Music: “Friends Don’t” - Maddie & Tae | “Love Ain’t” - Eli Young Band
Music: “Friends Don’t” - Maddie & Tae | “Love Ain’t” - Eli Young Band
I grew up on country music, and while I don’t listen to it a lot when I’m at college, our radio dial is always on 101.7 or 102.5 on the way to work in the mornings. These are two of the songs that I can be guaranteed to be dancing to in my car while Lars and Annika completely ignore me.
Movies: The Greatest Showman
Movies: The Greatest Showman
I know, I’m late to the party. Sue me.
Books: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Books: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
YA is my thing, and I love me a good fantasy novel. I’ve never read Holly Black before, but thanks to this book I have two more from the library, and I cannot wait to read them. The fantasy world is great, I’m in love with the characters, and the plot keeps you going to the very last page. Go check out some reviews on Goodreads.
Post a Comment