If you have been waiting with anticipation to know what I have been getting up to then you are in luck because I am finally getting around to writing it. My last post was all the way back in spring and well a lot has happened since then. I have just returned to Canada after a short spell at home to have a long over due catch up with many people but that will be another blog post ( I promise). After having a little break away from camp I am excited to relieve the last four months and let you guys know what I was getting up to.
As I said in my last post I once again took the plunge to head to summer camp , this time in Alberta and it really didn’t disappoint. I worked for the spring and summer season as a Village Leader which was an amazing experience. As a VL I was able to take on more responsibility at camp which I have been craving to get ever since I first started working at summer camp 2 years ago. From my first moments at summer camp I knew that it was a place that I wanted to spend my time at and I wanted to have an input into making it the best place that it could be. With this role I had the opportunity to do this and it was a great feeling. Getting to see the behind the scenes of how camp works and having a say was something that truly made me very happy.
Our Summer Team 2019
Working the spring season I was very much involved with the groups that came to camp for our outdoor education programme . It was so nice being the point of contact for these groups and developing my problem solving and customer relations skills. It was great being able to help make their experience at camp a positive one and leave them with a lasting impression. This was also the first time that I had to manage being in a leadership role with the people around me and developing appropriate relationships which at first was challenging , trying to find the balance but I think in the end it all worked out and I was able to create meaningful relationships.
Next up was summer camp and the wonderful crazy madness that it brings. It was a refreshing change to not have a cabin of campers but to be able to focus on the aspects of camp that help make their experience memorable. Despite not having a cabin I feel like my counselling skills were developed even more this summer and I was definitely challenged at points. I had to think outside the box on many occasion and try to understand why campers were feeling certain ways. I always wanted campers to have the best time possible at camp so it was sometimes challenging trying to find ways to give them the best opportunity to succeed at camp. I learnt many interpersonal skills that I would never be able to develop anywhere else. I definitely grew over the summer, not only within my role but also as a person. It was nice to be where I feel most myself and happy .
I got to pursue a passion of mine this summer too and that is social media. Since the first camp I went to , I have wanted to grow camp’s social media and have an active role in it. I always had so many ideas on how we can reach more people year round and show them how truly amazing camp is. This summer I got to do that. I was able to run our camp’s Facebook and Instagram page’s. From posting photos, showing people daily life on Instagram Stories and reliving sessions of camp through YouTube Videos I was so excited to develop this part of camp and combine my 2 loves together.
When summer camp comes to an end I am usually heart broken and wondering why I keep going back for more. Yes I am sad because the summer is over and I know that life won’t be as fun as camp but it is also because I have to leave the people that I have met. This summer was no different. The bonds that I have made with people at camp over the 8 weeks that I have known them are some of the strongest bonds I know. It is always hard to say goodbye after spending so much time basically living in each others pockets. I always know that it is not goodbye forever but just for now but it always causes my heart to break a little when it happens. Having said that it is one of the main reasons why camp keeps calling my name because I know that I am going to meet some of the most amazing people on the planet.
Now I have come back to camp to start my new role as a coordinator. I am so excited to learn and grow more in the camp setting and be able to actively impact camp in a positive way. I am so excited to start this new chapter of my camp life and make camp the best that it can be.
Emma
xx
Emma Murphy 