As the snow falls and the temperature drops, I cannot help but think about summer. Last summer I worked as a camp counselor which was both the most draining and rewarding work I have done. Little kids know exactly how to misbehave to grab our attention but they also have the widest imaginations, endless optimism, and most infectious laughs. Over the course of the summer 2016, I learned:

1. Campers will ask you if you have a boyfriend everyday and if you even look at a boy he’s your boyfriend for the rest of the summer.

2. To develop an endless supply of “Repeat After Me” songs to use during free time

3. Patience is key because your patience is tested. A lot.

4. To find my voice quickly because little kids love to push buttons and step on toes

5. I have a fan club - campers love their counselor which means they read into everything I say and do. They made me more aware of my actions and motivated me to be a better person and role model

6. To mediate fights and make sure everyone feels listened to, understood, and respected.

7. Kids are smarter than you think.

8. Smiles mean I was doing my job right.

9. Frowns mean I was doing my job right too.

10. Campers will forgive you for giving them a timeout.

11. There is no better feeling than a surprise hug.

12. Names are everything - all the campers will eventually know you so it is important that you know all of them.

13. Camp friendships are forever friendships. Not having a cell phone forces you to make genuine connections.

14. Camp makes you a morning person. When you have 25 campers to care for and monitor starting at 8:30am, you suddenly turn into a morning person.

15. Camp is full of hard days that make you question why you spend everyday disciplining, teaching, and playing games with kids, but the last day of camp is heartbreaking.

16. I miss yelling at a camper to not throw something, showing another how to make a friendship bracelet, and watching kids grow.

17. Camp builds your life. The internship and job you need to build your career will come, but camp teaches you how to be patient when it is easy to be impatient, how to find joy in the little moments, how to love and care for other people, how to be vulnerable and open. Camp changes lives.