Summer Camp: Working in the USA

What did you do this summer? Was it amazing? Incredible? Unforgettable? No? Well next year it could be.

I spent my summer working in America at a YMCA summer camp in Connecticut for the second year running and, once again, it was the best summer of my life. At camp I had two different jobs; I worked as the Media Director, meaning I was in charge of all things media (running classes, taking photos, making videos, social media) and I was also a camp counsellor for girls aged 9-11. I was responsible for my group of kids, the kids I lived with, ate with and played with. I was their ‘parent’ equivalent for the time they were at camp, whether that was one week or eight. And it was hard. Really, really hard.

 Working at a summer camp is probably – to use my Camp Director’s favourite line – “the hardest job you’ll ever love”. You will never be so exhausted, but you will never have as much fun. And that is a promise. Yes, it is stressful and yes, it is tiring, and sometimes you just don’t want to do it anymore. But then one of your kids (yes, you will start calling them ‘your’ kids) will make you laugh so hard you can’t breathe, or say something so lovely that your heart will melt, and suddenly it’s all worth it.

And it’s not just the kids that make the job worthwhile. The amount of friends I’ve made at camp is astounding and includes people from all over the world and from all walks of life. People who I know I will be friends with for the rest of my life. These are the people whom will make up your world while you’re at camp. They are your support system and they know how you feel, because they’re feeling it too.

In order to gain a work visa for the USA, I went through Camp Leaders, an agency who strive to make the process as easy as possible. If it is your first year at camp, they will be the ones who send out your application to camps across America to find you a job. Once you’ve applied and got your position at a camp, the visa process is pretty straight forward and then you are all set for an incredible four months in the states.

Yes, you can stay in the USA for up to four months, and considering most summer camps only run for about 8 weeks that means you have plenty of time to do some wicked travelling in between. Last year I travelled the East coast, hitting up Toronto, Miami, Washington DC and of course New York City; an incredible end to a brilliant summer. The possibilities are endless. What better way to round off a summer working at the best job in the world than the opportunity to travel?

Working in the USA. All I can say is do it. You won’t be disappointed.

For more thoughts on working at a summer camp, check out this post! 

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Tags: Adventure, Featured, USA

Category: Guest Post