It’s that time. September is almost over, which means that camp really is finished now for 2018. Everything is packed away, al the staff have left, the leaves have started falling, and I’ll be getting on a train this evening to head to New York for the start of my next adventure.
But first, let’s go back to the start of the month, which kicked off with an awesome Labor Day weekend, during which we had over 250 people on camp for our annual Family Camp. This year was a little different though as we were celebrating our 90th summer, so we had loads of alumni come to stay, some of whom hadn’t been back to camp for many years. There was a whole group of people too that were from my first few years here and it was much fun to see them all and catch up… it was like we’d never been apart.
After Family Camp, we had a few different groups come for things like school and college orientations, high school leadership programs and even a Father & Daughter weekend. By the time we were done with groups, we’d been working almost non-stop for 2 weeks, so we were very excited about our full 3 days off! 2 of my best friends from home (who I met at camp) came out to visit and they join a few of us on our time off when we went about an hour away into Massachusetts to a friend’s lake house. We just spent the days catching up on sleep, chilling out (yes I took my hammock), playing games, watching movies when it rained, and swimming in the lake. It was so nice to get off camp and just relax after a hectic couple of weeks.
When we returned to camp we had one last school group, which was heaps of fun and a really great way to end our Fall programming, and then it was one more full day of jobs, taking the last tents down, putting the mattresses and bunks away, moving the last of the ping pong tables and all the random jobs that you would never think of unless you’re at camp for the start and end of the whole season. These days for me are kind of bittersweet, I love the heavy jobs days and ticking things off the to do list, but I know that it means camp is over for another year and really, I never want to leave this place.
We had a final meal with all the remaining staff and then it was time to say our goodbyes. Myself and two others decided to stay at camp for a few extra days and use it as a base for a bit of exploring around the area (also saving us money by not staying in New York for a week), so saying goodbye to the others was strange and sad. I know that I’ll see them again, and most likely we’ll all be back at camp next Spring, but it’s still sad to think you won’t be spending everyday with these people like you have for the last 4 months.
The next couple of days were spent just relaxing and enjoying being on camp with no one else here. We went to some local towns, went of a little hike to a waterfall and spent a lot of time planning our next adventure – a 2-month trip in South and Central America! That’s something so awesome about working at summer camp in the USA, it’s such a great launch pad for some amazing travels, with the awesome people that you meet at camp. You can check out more about this trip over on my other blog, Roo Around The World, and make sure to follow my Instagram stories too.
And now, it’s time to say see you later (never goodbye) to my second home and head south, first to NYC and then onwards. I know it won’t be long before I’m back at camp and, if all goes according to plan, it’ll be for a little longer than just a summer next time!
Off we go to Ecuador!
**I’m returning to camp this summer with BUNAC who have been sending people just like you to camp for many years. Get in touch with them via their website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, by phoning them on +44 333 999 7516 or by email at enquiries@bunac.org.uk.**
Disclaimer: BUNAC are waiving my camp fees in return for this blog series, but please rest assured that all opinions are honest and my own.
Summer Camp Secrets 