For me, the summer of 2016 was one of the greatest summers ever. Why? Because of my summer job! (Does it count as a job if it’s unpaid volunteering?). This summer I worked at Evan’s Lake Summer Camp. A youth summer camp up in the mountains near Squamish, in it’s own little beautiful valley. My position was that of a member of the Volunteer Work Crew, a small group of volunteers in charge of a combination of the manual labor required around camp (moving rocks, building sheds, fixing roofs, staining benches.), and working with program (helping Cabin Leaders, running games, singing at campfire, running stations at rec time.). And let me say, I loved all of it! (Well, except for cleaning and folding tarps, I hated doing that). I hardly noticed the lack of cellular reception or wireless connection anywhere in camp, except for the boat dock, where I could get 1 bar of reception at night.
My days consisted of waking up at 7:30 (Sometimes at 7:00 and doing a fun wake up call for the kids, once involving trench coats, a leaf-blower, and heavy metal music.), getting to work at 7:45, working until breakfast at 8:30. Then working after breakfast until lunch at 12:30, then after lunch until 5:00, where we’d get a fun break until 5:30 that we called “5 o’clock on the dock” (which as you might expect was the work crew on the dock… at 5 o’clock.). Then we’d have dinner at 5:00, after dinner working until campfire at… I actually don’t know when campfire, which I was usually in charge of starting and maintaining. After campfire, the Work Crew would go and sit in on cabins and do “night watch” while the cabin leaders and instructors had staff meetings. After around 10:30 – 11:00, depending on how long staff meeting goes, we’d have the rest of the night off until a 12:00 staff curfew. Sometimes those “working” times are replaced by working with program and playing/running games. Also, if a cabin leader gets sick or has to do something, a Work Crew is their replacement cabin leader until they come back.
And so it went like that for most of my summer. And I loved all of it, from the manual labor to the forest games. To be perfectly honest, I think my favorite thing had to be chopping wood. I think the most fun I had this summer was when I chopped wood for 5 hours straight. Basically picture this. Me, swinging an axe with all my might, chopping wood to add to my already huge pile (which I’d have to move later), while Bonnie Tyler’s “I need a hero” blasts loudly behind me from my CD player.
I could honestly live there, and spend every day working like I did when I was there. Those late nights on the dock, watching the stars with close friends. Those sunny days. Those hikes. The food. I’d give anything to live it all the time.
Well, that was my summer, how’d you spend yours? Answer in the comments below 🙂
