A few months ago I lived in a dream. I worked in the United States in a summer camp called “Camp Rim Rock for girls” as a Chorus and Arts & Crafts counselor. A few days before the flight, I experienced a bit of stress and a lot of “what-ifs” starting bubbling up in my mind – I was constantly reminding myself about my passport; I was wondering if I had chosen the right path and I was hoping that I would find friends. I was also flying completely alone which didn’t help this thunder of thoughts!
However, as soon as I arrived at the camp, I was greeted with many smiles and questions about my story and where I’ve come from. In the camp, I spent most of my time preparing the children for performance evenings from the side of the chorus. The biggest factor that motivated me was that the girls were burning with the desire to sing and create a good performance for the audiences and that’s also when my heart was at its happiest!
The camp was in the mountains, so we had to climb up and down the hills every day just to get around the camp. It was very beautiful around and we would often see fallow deer during the activities, however at night it was advisable to go with a flashlight, because of the snakes that were local to the area (they were everywhere!). Once, when leading an art class and looking for supplies, I saw a snake on a box! I thought I was going to faint because it was the first time I saw a snake and especially this close!
As soon as the children left, the maintenance staff came to get rid of it as it turns out that it was a very dangerous type of snake! Over time, things like this became commonplace.
Moreover, we had different evening activities every day like “hoedowns”, picnics, camp dances and many others that we were introduced to throughout our placement. The camp itself had many beautiful traditions, some of which were friendship bracelet weaving and singing “Friendship true”. When I came home, I thought how much I would have missed if I hadn’t flown. The interviews and paperwork is the least of your worries in comparison to the thing I got to experience and the people I got to meet. To this day, I talk with friends from Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Australia, and various US states.
This is the best and unforgettable experience for me due to the skills I have acquired. Living in Rim Rock taught me teamwork, quick problem solving, and an array of communication skills. I now feel comfortable being able to communicate with different children, and act like a responsible leader. 9 weeks on the other side of the world will definitely teach you independence as it has for me.
We also had days off where we got to see a lot of different places, one of which was the National Gallery of Art in Washington, which has been a lifelong dream of mine. So, I want to wish everyone not to be afraid to dream, because sometimes things that are perceived with the eye as impossible, become reachable by hand. Take a risk, fill out the applications, just do it and I believe you will succeed! After all, we only live once!
Good luck.