Good morning lovely ones!
So, its been a busy few days, and I LOVE it! Spent the 4th on Nantucket with my family, then went up to Maine to do some biking, and now I'm back down at school working! Things are pretty awesome.
Well...the first day of camp was yesterday. First day of anything always makes me a little nervous. First day of school, first day of work, first day in a new place...it doesn't matter what it is, I still get nervous. But first day of camp...yes, it's always a little nerve wracking to see who is going to be in your group and such, but camp is one of my absolute favorite things in the whole world. I am one of those weirdos who absolutely loves working with kids. My favorite ones are between the ages of 9 and 13, but if those ones are taken, I have absolutely no problem working with older ones or younger ones.
I have been working as a camp counselor every summer since I was 16. It has become such a part of what my year and what my summer looks like, that I can't imagine my life without it. I love nothing more than getting on the same level as a kid and hearing what they think about a situation or answering one of the million questions that are running through their head. I love being able to share what I know about something with them and watching how each one takes that knowledge and uses it in a different way. I love making relationships with them and getting to a point where they feel like they can trust me and talk to me about hardships they have had or what their deepest hopes and dreams are. I love getting super excited with them and then seeing them smile at how silly I am. I love seeing kids happy.
Being a camp counselor is way harder than most people think. From the time the kids get there in the morning (or when they wake up if it's an overnight camp) to the time they leave or go to bed, you have to be on. You have to be happy, excited, smiling, and ready to go. You have to be constantly counting your kids to make sure they are all there, you have to know who is likely to lag behind or get distracted and be late somewhere. You have to know who is allergic to what and how to handle that. The list could go on forever.
One of the hardest things though is knowing that they are watching everything I do. Wow...I didn't mean for that to sound so self centered. Hear me out though. Seeing them trying to do what I do...it's a really humbling experience. I have to watch everything that comes out of my mouth, because they often say what I say. I have to think through every action as if one of them is going to do it. It's something that can be super tiring, but it's also something that forces you to learn a lot about yourself. You have to think through why you do what you do...that's scary sometimes!!! But it's worth it.
So, bring on the crazy theme days, being exhausted and ready for bed at 9pm, losing my voice, listening to little kid music, having my face hurt from smiling too much, and being surrounded by a million little ones. That is where I want and love to be! =)
Love to all of you!
L
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