|
- My feet have just about had time to heal, the face paint is almost completely washed off and the remaining pieces of oatmeal have nearly fallen out my hair! All I’m left with now are treasured memories from last summer at Camp Augusta. So, let’s do it all over again but this time even better. Yes, that’s right, in the next few week I will be returning to Camp Augusta for my second summer. My name’s Will and, like last summer, I’m super excited to be taking on the role of a counselor in Cedar Village.
First, let me introduce myself if we haven’t already met. My full name is Will Hardy. I ought to say just Will really because I’m often mistaken for William or Willemina, but really it’s just Will. My parents were keen to give me a name that wouldn’t be shortened so I’ve never really had a nickname either. Maybe you guys can choose one for me over the summer. I’m 25 years old and live in a small village in the East of England.
In England, we don’t really have summer camps like you guys have in the States; if we did, I’m sure I would have loved to go when I was younger. My childhood summers were spent playing with my brother, making up games, riding our bikes, building hiding places and exploring the nearby ‘jungle’ that was close to our house. Being full of energy, running around and having adventures have never really left me and I’m sure that’s one of the reasons why I love camp so much.
It barely seems like yesterday since camp 2008 finished, but with summer just around the corner, it’s almost time for me to fill my backpack, book by flights and set foot in the lands of Camp Augusta once again. Since camp last summer, I’ve spent most of my time working as a teaching assistant in an English High School. My job is to provide support to pupils who have some kind of learning or behavioural difficulty during their school day. I greatly enjoy working with children, but can’t wait to leave the classroom behind and step into the beauty of camp once again. I much prefer the outdoors to the indoors, even when it is cold. I often catch myself looking out the window and reminiscing about the oatmeal fights, the campfires, the games of capture the flag, the story-telling and all the other special memories that I hold of camp. Since last summer, I’ve also tried to keep myself busy and take on new adventures by;
Building two snowmen, one in the States and one in England.
Biking almost 300 miles from Eureka to San Francisco with 6 other members of staff from Camp Augusta.
Surfing for a day in Malibu.
Celebrating Thanksgiving in the US for the first time
Applying for a World Record that I hope we can achieve this summer at camp.
Taking Spanish evening classes for the last 3 months.
Designing an evening program that I can’t wait to play this summer at camp.
Running a half marathon and gaining a place in the 2012 Marathon Des Sables, a 150 mile, 6 day race through the Sahara Desert!!!
In 2007, I graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and since then I’ve taken time out to travel and think about what I’d like to do when I grow up! I’ve travelled around Southeast Asia for two months. I’ve worked in a ski resort for 5 months and during university I spent a month exploring Egypt. Before university, I spent five months volunteering in a dairy on a kibbutz in Israel and I’ve also worked at another summer camp in Pennsylvania.
After camp this summer, I’m planning to travel around South America for a couple of months. I love travelling and am sure if we spend a while chatting I’ll share some stories with you from places I’ve been lucky enough to visit. In the long term, I’m still unsure of what I’d like to do in the future. I find camp a great place to think and learn about myself and I hope, over the summer, I can begin to put together the initial plans for my next adventure.
For now, that’s enough of me on paper! Let’s meet soon at camp and get to know each other better. I look forward to finding out about you and playing, laughing, or being silly together. I can’t wait to be back and make a new summers worth of lasting memories.
See you soon,
Will
|
