8 Worries You Will Have Before Going Summer Camp
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Going to camp is a terrifying process. On your first time applying, a million thoughts and worries flood your head. Allow me, the host of There’s No Place Like Summer Camp to ease your woes. Here are the eight worries you will have before going to summer camp for the first time.
- Making Friends – Damn this is a biggie of mine. Each time I have done summer camp, the scare of not making friends daunts the experience. But, having been and done a couple of summers, I know how awesome this really is. Solo travelling for the first time means that you are putting yourself out there, in a new environment. And sure, these camps will have staff that have been going for years, but there is always an influx of new staff joining for the first time too. What surprised me, was the extent of how many new staff join per year, over half the entire staff are also there the first time too. On top of this, there are plenty of fun opportunities and icebreakers to ease you into camp with new faces. Embrace it.
- Travels Afterward – Particularly on the first year, I was worried about not having plans for the end of camp. But it was what Camp America had told us to do. So I followed their lead and sure enough, its words of wisdom. Make sure you aren’t tempted to book stuff before you set foot in camp (unless you’re doing a tour of course). It is best to enjoy camp, make new friends and then travel with them after all the hard work. You’ll make some sick memories.
- Collection from the airport – Think of this as the first step into the unknown. When camp pick you up from the airport, its the first time you are face to face with who you’re working with for the summer. It shouldn’t be too troublesome finding them either. If you get lost at all, contact camp and they can guide you.
- No familiar faces – Similar to the making friends thing really. But trust me, after about a week of spending 24/7 with these people, you will be a tightknit family. You will confide in secrets that your closest of friends back home don’t even know. The friends you make at camp are like no other.
- Money troubles – Going to volunteer at summer camp isn’t (in my opinion) expensive. You pay approx £750 for the privilege of going and by the end of it all, you are paid for your services. For me, it worked out to be near breakeven. All I needed was to save the spending money and travels afterward. Just discipline yourself, put money aside each month and you should be fine.
- Leaving your job/education – Sometimes in life, you need to think of the bigger picture. When I made the decision to do summer camp, I looked at my long term rather than short term. Do you want to have all these stories, memories and fun? Or do you want to stay in work? These are only things you can answer, not me.
- What I need to pack – Packing, while it is a worry, shouldn’t really be. Sure, you want to be certain you have the essentials, but anything you forget can be bought in a Walmart. As for what to pack, most camps provide a packing list.
- Missing out on stuff back at home – By this, I mean different to being homesick. When you come back from summer camp, you will return as a changed person. With all these memories and stories to tell. While back at home, not much will change. You will be the rockstar while your friends and family at home lust over your social media pics.
Do you have worries about camp that aren’t on the list? Tweet me, @androow09. And a quick plug, I’m writing a book about my first year of volunteering for summer camp. You can pre-order it here on my shop and will be on all good retailers soon.
See you next week,
A.
