Being a camp counselor is nothing like it seems from the outside, so this is an inside scoop on what it's REALLY like to be a camp counselor.
It is NOT a summer “vacation”
As much as people reference summer camp as a type of summer vacation, that is not the case whatsoever when you’re a camp counselor. There are so many difficult things camp counselors have to do every day that wouldn’t be a part of anyone's ideal vacation. From screaming kids to midnight nurse’s visits being a camp counselor is a lot harder than it looks.
Alone time doesn't exist.
If you are the kind of person who needs a lot of alone time, being a camp counselor is probably not for you. Your campers will stick to you like glue and will be around you 24/7 especially if there is only one counselor per cabin you have 7-8 little kids to keep track of and they will never leave you alone.
Nature isn’t everything.
Summer camp is often viewed as an engulfed experience in nature and all lake, field and outdoor activities. However, so many camps offer awesome arts programs like drama, dance, crafts and photography. So camp doesn’t have to only nature centric, it can be creative, artistic and indoorsy too!
Everything is NOT kumbaya at camp.
Summer camps often show off a very fun happy environment where everyone gets along and no one gets stressed or tired, however being stressed and tired is ALL you are at camp. You get little to no sleep and everyone else comes before you when you’re a counselor.
Your luxury standards are COMPLETELY changed.
At camp you care less and less about the standard of the way things are in your routine. Like if there was water and dirt all over your bathroom counter at home, YUCK! But at camp, for the outdoor bathrooms, that’s pretty standard.
Coffee is a MUST no matter who you are.
Whether or not you liked coffee before camp, you WILL leave with a coffee addiction, it’s the only way to make it through the summer...alive.
The decision between a shower and a nap was NEVER this hard.
At camp you often only have time for one, and the decision has to be weighed every time. Is it worth it to have this nap and be dirty? Or do I get cleaned and fall asleep during dinner?
You get woken up A LOT!
Kids will always wake you up in the middle of the night for so many different and insane reasons, by the end of the summer it’s just the question of “are you bleeding or dying?”.
If you had a dollar for every friendship bracelet you’ve made you’d be ROLLIN IN IT!
Bracelets are the highlight of camp for some campers, and as the counselor it’s always your job to make them. If you don’t know how, they will feed you to the *metaphorical* wolves.
You will forget that normal people don’t have to shower with flip flops on.
Camp showers are SO nasty that for two and a half months you’ll be showering with flip flops on girl.
Camp names and real names get MEGA stressful.
Sometimes you forget your fellow counsellors camp names and can’t talk to them cause you forget their name but then sometime you forget their real names and feel so stupid about it!
You become immune to the effects of bug bites.
You get so many they are just a part of your skin now, you don’t even realise that you’re legs and arms are constantly itchy, it just goes away eventually.
Out of the loop on music, BIG TIME!
When you get home you have no idea what was on the radio all summer but you have 30 repeat-after-me songs and 20 camp cheers memorised to the tee.
BUT YOU WOULDN’T TRADE IT FOR THE WORLD
Camp is THE BEST JOB EVER and you know it! You wouldn’t change a thing, because all those midnight wake-ups, gross camp food and nasty conditions are what makes camp, CAMP!
Let me know if you are a camp counselor and if you've ever experiences these down below! Also, IF YOU HAVE A CAMP NAME PUT IT IN THE COMMENTS!! MINE IS RAMEN!
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