Hey everyone! Before we get into this blog post, I just want to say sorry about being MIA for the last month or so... I have officially made it to America and moved back into my home in the woods - which i'm super stoked about :)! We have completed staff training and are now hitting our third week of kids - which is why the blog posts are CRAZY delayed. Apologies for the lack of posts, but I'm back and I'm ready to jump right into the blog post!
Since June 3rd, we have been in the thick of it with staff training, so I figured there was no better way to celebrate staff training being finished than with writing a blog post containing all of my best tips and tricks for surviving staff training.
Throw Yourself Into Camp Culture: I have found that at my camp this is something a lot of people have been struggling with so far. It is a super awkward to stand in front of peers and sing songs about a moose named Fred, when you don't want to embarrass yourself right? But the best thing about camp is that we are all in the same boat when it comes to standing up in front of people and making a fool of ourselves.
Amz' Top Tip:
- In a few weeks' time, everyone will be standing on that singing porch belting out the songs and doing crazy dances, so don't be afraid to get a head start on perfecting that singing voice for campers coming along!
- Allow yourself to take risks and push your boundaries, that is what camp is all about!
Remember why you are there: The reason you go to camp is personal to you - it might be that you're there because you want to travel America and this is the easy route. Your reason is so important because it will help push you to enjoy and make the most of your summer
At the hardest of times, think about that reason to help push through them.
Amz' Top Tip:
- Write out a list of all the things that you LOVE about camp and the reasons that you are there:
Reasons I am at camp:
- It's my home in the woods
- Lifeguarding
- Canoeing
- New Friends
- S'mores
- One Match Fires
- It's where I met all my best friends
Important or Just Camp?
Camp can be pretty stressful, and when everything is happening so fast it might seem like crisis after crisis. Something our camp director told us when we started was to always keep metaphorical pieces of paper in our pockets: one saying "this is the most important work you'll ever do" and one saying "it's just camp". I promise this is some of the best advice you can take to camp with you!
Basically, whenever you are faced with a decision - which will be 4,302 times per day - decide which piece of paper is true right now. Is a kid having a meltdown because her socks are on the wrong feet? That's just camp. Did your tie-dye run and now you have a kinda ugly brown t-shirt? That's just camp. But, did a kid tell you that you've given her the confidence to sing and dance in front of new people? That's the most important work you'll ever do. Did you teach a camper how to swim? That's the most important work you'll ever do.
So remember that when you are faced with crisis after crisis at camp to think "is this the most important work I'll ever do?" or "is this just camp?" because I can promise you that it will save you so much stress to think in this way!
Allow yourself to branch out to new people: At camp, it is super easy to become comfortable around the same 3 or 4 people. It's understandable, because if you find comfort in someone's presence then you tend to stick with them (and know that it's ok to do this). Allow yourself to sit with other people everyday, learn about them and their interests and grow a larger friendship circle - this way, if your person isn't around when you need someone to talk to or on break times, then you can still be with other people in a comfortable setting. Or even better - have multiple best friends!
Thanks so much for tuning into my blog! I'm so sorry I've been MIA recently, I promise I'll be back next week with a new blog post for y'all. As always, I hope you have a fun and fresh summer! xo Amz