Happy Camping: Staff Orientation

Being a sleepaway camp counselor is nothing like being a camper. If any of you forgot what camp is all about, let me give you a not-so-hypothetical situation:

You’re sitting on the side of the soccer field while the sun is drawing a tan line of your favorite flip flops on your feet. You’re at the front of the massage line (what could be better?) working on your latest pink and purple string friendship bracelet. The heat reminds you to bring your squeeze breeze to the next activity and you cannot wait for rest hour to play spit on your best friend’s top bunk, which, of course, you always win.

Since I arrived at camp, my daily activities have been slightly different. The campers have not arrived yet and my day has run a little something like this:

7:30 AM: Bugle call for wake up

8:00 AM: Breakfast (consisting of a choice of bagel, cereal, sometimes eggs , rarely bacon. Okay, not so bad)

9:00 AM: Boring yet important meeting #1 (Yes, two hours long)

11:00 AM: Boring yet important meeting #2

12:30 PM: Lunch (Some sort of food I can only get away with eating at camp aka grilled (whole milk) cheese on buttered bread)

1:30 PM: Meet with activity heads (Yes!!! Arts and crafts, which is pretty much heaven made out of popsicle sticks, lanyard, glitter glue and construction paper)

3:00 PM: Unpack all campers clothes and junk. Make their beds.

6:00 PM: Dinner (I’m starving, has it really been five and a half hours since I ate last?)

7:00 PM: Boring yet important meeting #3

8:00 PM: Counselor bonding activity (Bowling, camp scavenger hunt)

10:00 PM: Counselors can go out to a hole in the wall bar with a 12:30 AM curfew (no grace)

1:00 AM: Sleep (FINALLY)

And repeat. For an entire week.

Now don’t get me wrong. This whole counselor bonding experience has been good to me in an Australian coworker kind of way. But I honestly cannot wait for the kids to pile in within the next few days and feel the whole camping atmosphere one more time.

Stay tuned for more Happy Camping installments!