I just got an email from a Fernwood Cove counselor (names are excluded of course). She was asked to write about how her life was changed for the better due to camp. We often hear about this from the camper’s perspective but not often from the counselors.
I feel that what this counselor wrote is extraordinary and I wanted to share it.
A Counselor’s Story
Well I have no idea where to start with this….I began my camp experience back in 2005 when I was still at university. I wanted a change to the usual summer holidays where by I get a job with no prospects to earn the minimum wage.
Myself and a friend went along to a presentation evening for working at a summer camp. Now I have to say I wasn’t that keen on the idea before seeing the presentation, I just wanted to get away and not have to deal with kids, especially American ones at that! It must have been about 1 minute into the video they showed us that I was hooked. I went home and applied straight away.
I ended up being recruited for an all girls camp called ‘Fernwood Cove’ in Harrison, Maine. Little did I know this would become my ‘home away from home’ for the next 5 summers. This little camp in the middle of nowhere became a magical place where I learnt not only how to deal with kids, but who I was and where I wanted to be in life.
Now, my home friends (This is how I distinguish my friends now, home and camp ones) on the other hand had a completely different take on this. They never remember the stories of ’round the campfire’ or ‘trip days’ all they can think of when I; for the twelfth time that day say ‘this one time at camp..’ is that we wear white on a Sunday and sing Grace at the dinner table. To them this is an ‘American cult.’ I know I’m not the only one with friends like this but this did not put me off going back every summer. I became the friend that everyone knew would be out of the country and uncontactable from June through to September.
I have just had my 5th summer at the cove and can honestly say I would not be the person I am today without it. My best friends are from all over the world because of it, which is not ideal but I feel extremely lucky that I have found them and know no matter how far away we are form each other we will always be lifelong friends.
From my camp experience I have learnt many a new hobbies along the way I can now: crochet, make hemp jewellery, wakeboard, climb to the top of the wall and abseil back down, use a water bottle to make a game out of, when stuck with 100 kids in front of you start a song that will always begin with ‘this is a repeat after me song’ to get the best results, find the best hiding spot for ‘counsellor hunt,’ take a nap in a bunk where 12 girls are singing at the top of their lungs and not hear a thing and lastly never leave the bunk at night without a torch!
There is so much more I could say about my camp experience, it was the best summers of my life and will stay with my forever.
