First off: if you get tired out easily, do not take this job. From an outsider’s perspective, the realities of Camp America sounds like hell. Insanely long work hours and barely any time off for a span of twelve weeks is enough to make anyone go insane. Add on having to sleep in a cabin with ten kids every week and being paid dirt might make someone question why anyone takes the job at all. Sure, it is a lot of work- but one aspect of the job that I loved was that it felt like I was making a difference with my summers.
I’m someone who hates sitting around during the summer, and being busy from sunrise until sunset (literally) made me feel like my summer wasn’t just being wasted on Netflix TV shows and the occasional trip to London. Yes, the kids can be difficult and you’ll feel more sleep deprived than the average human should ever be in their lifetime, but it also helps you figure out what you’re good at. Whether it’s diffusing arguments, helping a kid try something for the first time, or just joking about with co-workers, no two days are the same.
The sleepless nights comforting homesick children doesn't have the same appeal anymore, but I'm glad that I've had the chance to experience it
As much as I’d like to say the rumours aren’t true, Camp America is also the nearest you will ever get to Love Island. I met my partner there, and nearly all my friends at camp have had some kind of summer romance during their years at camp. It can be fun and it can also be mortifying- having to look someone in the eye the next morning at work can be a bit awkward- but it does help to distract you from the never-ending workload you have going on. Summer camps are usually stationed in the middle of nowhere, meaning that you and your co-workers get very close, very quickly.
But that doesn’t just necessarily mean in a romantic sense: the friends I’ve made at camp have been some of the strongest and most resilient connections I’ve ever had. You cry in front of them, you laugh slightly too hysterically with them; I would easily say that Camp America was worth it just because of the connections I’ve made. It’s a great way to meet people from all over the world, rather than the same five people who live in your student house.
So would I recommend the experience to someone? Honestly, it depends on the camp and the person. But I’ve loved my summers at camp, and I think I’ve become a better person because of it. There definitely comes a time where the sleepless nights comforting homesick children doesn’t have the same appeal anymore, but I’m glad that I’ve had the chance to experience it. If you think about it, comforting your friend who’s throwing up in the toilet at 3am isn’t really that different. I wouldn’t change it for the world- but if you sign up and find yourself on the brink of burnout, don’t blame me.