So the summer has come to an end and what an amazing summer it was. When I decided to come to Canada to work in a summer camp I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I did all the research on camp but its is not really something that you can explain until you are there. There is a magic surrounding camp that makes friendships grow faster and memories become heightened like no where else. I learnt so many new skills this summer and discovered new loves such as rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking and paddle boarding which who knows if I would ever have if not for camp.  It is amazing what you can learn when you are just thrown in and people have confidence in you. I also learned how to make a proper fire that can be used to cook on for 12 hungry kids. I learnt how to connect with my campers on an individual level and form bonds with them all as individuals no matter how hard it was at the start I got there eventually.

It was not all roses, there were some days where tears would come to my eyes and I just wanted to crawl up and hibernate for a few days but I learnt to find things to keep me going and the team around me helped.  You are on the go for the whole day so it can hard to  find time to yourself at all but it is amazing what the odd five minutes lying on your bed or a smile from someone passing by can do. The summer was filled with so many happy and wonderful moments that the hard days were few and far between.

On thing that camp has given me that I will cherish forever is the friendships that I made. There is something about living and working together in a confined environment that just makes friendship form so much quicker and makes the bonds last longer. If we can survive summer camp we can survive anything. These girls have seen the highs and lows of my summer and have been an integral part of getting me through those rough times. I know that no matter the distance we will be friends for life and that there is a bond between us that will be hard to break.

I took a risk heading to Canada, a country I had never been to before to a summer camp, Camp Ouareau where I knew nobody to spent my whole summer. It could have been a disaster but thanks to the people and environment of camp it was one of the most amazing summers that I will never forget.

It is hard to explain but all I can say is ‘It’s a camp thing, you had to be there’.

Emma

xx