As I’m sure you can imagine, I was ridiculously excited to be arriving in New York. My first two weeks since have been outrageously busy. I arrived in the city on the Wednesday 22nd June and spent the day with mum, looking around some of the shops and generally just enjoying the New York experience. In the evening we managed to see a great show called The Blue Man Group, featuring vibrant paint displays and plenty of impressive drumming.
The following morning, I departed for Camp Hillcroft from Grand Central Station. The train broke down halfway there and the tracks got flooded, so that we were delayed by about an hour. And when we finally did arrive at the station, the rain soaked all of the clothes in my bag. The first four days at camp were ‘orientation’, which gave me a chance to meet plenty of the people that I will be working with for the Summer, as well as getting to know the camp area and what the arrangements are for each day.
And then on Monday, bright and early, the kids started arriving. I had been assigned the Seniors group, which means 8th grade, which means 13 years old to us. My job is very simple; I just have to look after them and make sure they find their way around and make it to all the activities they’ve signed up to do. The kids are old enough to be able to get to an activity themselves, whereas the younger groups need to be escorted everywhere. After sending the kids off, each of the counsellors in our grade will go and join in one of the activities to which our kids have dispersed. So essentially, I get to enjoy camp as one of the kids does, but in a role of responsibility.
One major perk of my job is that I get to go on trips with the kids. In the last two weeks alone, I’ve been roller skating, bowling and just yesterday to a theme/ water park; and it is all paid for by the camp. The kids can get slightly nightmarish when very excitable, but otherwise the enjoyment of working with them keeps me entertained most of the day.
The evenings are normally spent with the international resident staff, of which there are about 40. Everyone I have met is great to talk to and really fun. The reason my time has been limited is mainly due to these people, who, like me, are always up for doing something. The surrounding area is quite quiet, but there are a few bars around and when there’s so many of us, there isn’t really a problem with ID. Similarly, we have license to roam around camp and make the most of all the facilities there, such as the tennis courts or swimming pools. Finding the time to sit down and relax is very hard for me.
I spent my long 4th July weekend in New York City, staying in a friend’s apartment on Upper West Side, who I had met a few months ago in Argentina. I was given another tour of the city and enjoyed a nice wander around the city, including a horse and cart ride through Central Park and some nice strolls down 5th Avenue and Times Square. On the evening of Independence Day, myself and a few friends from camp were lucky enough to watch the immense fireworks display from the 29th floor apartment, overlooking the Hudson. The view and the fireworks were just ridiculous; they were unlike anything I had seen before…
I am planning to go on some more weekend escapades over the coming two months and I already know that this Summer is going to be a lot of fun.
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