My two weeks of being a full-time camp counselor have come and gone and although it was exhausting and sometimes drove me crazy I'm so glad I got to have the experience.
The first week was especially for kids from military families - mostly with parents currently deployed who are about to come home. They're definitely facing some unique challenges so it was great to see them connect with each other and get the chance to have fun without worrying about their parents. I was with 7/8/9 year old girls during this week and they could be a handful. There was a lot of crying because of homesickness and bugs but they were also a lot of fun. I was with them all day and night except for a 2 hour break in the afternoon and was responsible for making sure all their basic needs were taken care of as well as getting them to their activities. During the week they got to climb the rock wall, go canoeing, do archery, swim in the pool, go on a nature hike, do drama, make crafts, and go to campfires every night. There were also special activities from the organization that funds the military camp to help the kids connect with each other and their role as a child in the military. Because of that there wasn't much free time and things often felt rushed. This past week was much more relaxed because there were fewer campers and I had a slightly older age group. We also started to feel more at home and got into the swing of things. It was more of the same activities, homesickness, and silly songs but the kids had a blast and so did I.
We have a long weekend for the 4th of July and we've already done some shopping, seen Transformers (it was crazy to see Chicago getting destroyed in it), and swam in the mountain snow-melt waters of the Santa Ana River. Tomorrow we're celebrating with fireworks in Big Bear (the closest city to our mountain home). This upcoming week we'll be doing some more maintenance including finishing a new roof and building some low-ropes course elements for the camp. We'll be around for a few days the following week then are packing up and heading back to Sacramento for the end of the year. It's crazy how time has flown and my AmeriLife is almost over... I'm starting to get antsy about what the next part of my life will look like. For now I'm just trying to make the most of each day and enjoy what's happening around me.
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