Hi, it’s been a while since I wrote something you guys (whoever is reading will probably just skim over) but anyways…

I thought I’d write about camp, because I tend to talk about it a lot.

As a kid you might have gone to sports days during summer, holidays, day camps while your parents were working but England has nothing on America in terms of summer camps and the way kids spend their summers over there!!

So Camp Wicosuta, where I’ve spent the last 2 summers opened my eyes to something I honestly didn’t know existed in real life – summer camp – I thought it was just all in the movies.

One of the first things I was told a few hours after getting to camp was “you can’t describe camp to anyone who hasn’t been…”

And I was like *in my head* “ahahahaha yeah okay…”

As soon as I got home from my first summer all my friends and family were asking; what was it like? What did you do? Tell me all about it!

But the truth is there are so many stories but people didn’t understand them because they were stories for “you had to be there” moments and when I described other things and words they’d look at me like “sorry what” because it didn’t make sense to them.

So, what does camp look like on a day to day basis?

 

The music plays at 7:50 to wake everyone up on camp!

8:10 – breakfast – with everything you can imagine; fruit, yoghurt, pancakes, waffles, French toast, cereal and more

8:45 – flag pole – where morning announcements are made and the raising of the United States flag. And most importantly SPORTS SCORES – from the games from the day before.

9:00 – bunk clean up – this is where the kids have little jobs to carry out as well as getting all the stuff they need for their activities ahead.

9:45 – morning meetings – this is where the kids go and have a little chit chat and meeting with their head counsellor or group leader. The staff go to the area in which they work and have a talk with their ‘activity head’

10:00 – 10:50 – first period

10:50 – 11:00 – rotation – this is where the kids move to the next activity and you can set up for your set lesson.

11:00 – 11:50- second period

11:50 – 12:30 – Lunch! What do you fancy? Well the dining hall more than likely has it.

12:30 – 1:45 – rest hour – this is where the kids in your bunk get to chill and do whatever they fancy really – may be making friendship bracelets, visiting friends in other bunks, have a chit chat with you or having a nap.

Then on to the afternoon.

2:00 – 2:50 – third period

2:50 – 3:00 – rotation

3:00 – 3:50 – fourth period

3:50 – 4:00 – rotation

4:00 – 4:50 – fifth period

4:50 – 5:00 – rotation

5:00 – 5:50 – selective period – this is where if the kids are aged 12 – 15 (upper camp) they effectively have a free period before dinner and lower kids who are 7-11 (lower camp) will have signed up for an activity during lunch to do in this period.

 

Then its dinner at 6:15 – 6:50 – where it is served ‘family style’ so each table in the dining hall gets a tray of food to be shared between the table.

6:50 – 7:00 – flag lowering – where everyone is told what their evening activity will be and which member of staff will be heading it up.

7:00 – 7:30 – in bunk getting ready for the evening activity.

7:30 – 8:30 – evening activity.

8:30 – until the allocated bed time for the age group is for the kids to wind down and just chill out.

 

Each day you get an allocated period off to just chill and take your mind off everything.

 

Through the 4 week blocks of camp there are special events days – which are definitely special to say the least; carnival (massive bouncy slides and booths), Wicochella (camps version of Coachella – flower crowns, performances), survivor day (intercamp competitions) and trip day (don’t think that needs explaining) – all amazing.

 

Everyday day on camp is different although you have a set routine throughout the day – it’s different in the most enjoyable way possible.

 

You get to meet people from all over the world, near and far. They’ll be in your life for the rest of your life (well that’s what I’ve found).

 

So, if you’re urming and arhing about doing camp, my advice – what have you got to lose? Just go and do it.