Since this week is my off week, in a way my time at MSYC is just about halfway over. It’s incredible how time flies.
During Week 2 I had my first campers of my own. In a complete shift from the first week, most of the kids at camp were middle or high school age, so the dynamic was completely different. Rather than worry about keeping kids sunscreened and hydrated, I had to worry about keeping girls from sneaking out and meeting their boyfriends and keeping teenage girl drama to a minimum.
My cabin was only about half full, and I felt like I got the chance to get to know each of them individually and personally and actually be a counselor. On Sunday I learned that EVERY GIRL BUT ONE had been or currently was a cheerleader. Naturally, but perhaps regrettably, I immediately stereotyped them all and worried that I was going to have the prissiest, most dramatic cabin ever.
Luckily, they turned out to be awesome and soooooo much fun. After I had to explain to them who NSYNC was (man, did I feel old!), we put together short routine inspired by the song’s original choreography to “Bye, Bye, Bye” for the camper talent show on Wednesday. We weren’t that good (okay, maybe I just wasn’t that good, but in my defense I was just jumping in for someone who flaked out), but it was fun and goofy and really brought us closer together. There’s probably a video of it floating around the internet somewhere.
Week 3 was nothing short of exhausting. Don’t get me wrong, we had a blast, but by the end of the week all of the counselors were worn out. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that (Dr. Massey would cringe at the use of that phrase, but as this is an informal blog I’m going to decide not to care) we had a ton of younger kids (my cabin was made of of 9-11 year olds, most of whom had never been to camp before) and only two JCs. Younger kids require a whole lot more attention, and for the first time this summer I felt like counseling was actually a real job.
Despite the added responsibility and pressure, I enjoyed this week. My girls were super sweet and all had such pure, good hearts. They wrote me sweet little notes and asked about a million and one questions and believed anything I would say and all called me “Miss Laura.” One of my girls even decided to be baptized at camp! I was pleasantly surprised to find that liked working with the younger ones more than I thought I would.
Every week brings lessons. Perhaps the most valuable has been the reminder that you rarely judge by appearance. The second most was probably the realization that a no-flashlights policy is the key to a good night’s sleep.
I’m taking this week off to study for and take my GRE, but I’ll still be hanging around camp for a lot of the week. I’m looking forward to having fun without any of the responsibility!
