I had no summer.

Sure, the weather got warmer and the days got longer, but I still did not experience your average summer. I worked at Krannert Park as a camp counselor for 40 hours a week all throughout summer “break”. So really, there was no break. I had weekends off and holidays but that parallels a schedule for a school week. I woke up at 7:30 everyday to get ready for work, which started at 8:30. Although my schedule was a lot like a school one, the work wasn’t similar in the slightest.

I went from being the kid to being the adult in the span of one week and it was definitely an adjustment. I had to get used to setting up activities and being responsible for the kids. It was extremely anxiety inducing at the start but once I got to know some of my co-workers, the kids and our daily routines it was incredibly easy to keep up with and I definitely enjoyed it.

Playing games with the kids and getting to know them was extremely rewarding. Each one had something new to say or do and a few definitely stood out in positive and negative ways. They were the reason I had such a good experience this summer. I got to run around and play as a kid but also grow into a responsible adult at the same time.

A struggle for me was feeling like I was a good enough camp counselor, because while I was there for all the fun and games I was worried that I wasn’t able to actually be that authoritative person that my fellow counselors could be. I still felt like a child myself in so many ways so feeling like I had any authority over them was hard for me to grasp.

I had to realize that in more ways than one I was becoming an adult. I was being trusted to look after children, care for them, make sure they didn’t get hurt, teach them, and make it the funnest summer possible.

By the end of the summer I felt like I’d come into my own more than I ever have this summer. I got my license, after a couple tries, and I got my first job, I’ve been responsible for children, and I’ve also had to navigate the rocky waters of socializing with my fellow counselors. And through all this I feel like I’m finally becoming a better version of myself.

I’ve realized  it takes a lot of patience to work with kids, but in the end it’s worth it because you can learn something new from each one. Yes, sometimes you may want to drop everything and quit, but to watch them smile when they understand a game or laugh at a joke it’s the most rewarding thing in the world.

This summer I spent 40 hours a week working at a day camp called Krannert. I ran after the kids and sometimes had to discipline them. I got to know a lot of cool people and learned a ton of new things. I had no summer break but I had the experience of a lifetime.