Camp & Passions

Last year, I attended an ACA Midstates workshop titled "Life After Camp" The speaker addressed what do you do when your time in camp has come to an end. What do you do when your life has been so intertwined & ignited by the passion of camp and your life path detours you away. She shared how she went from camp work into the corporate world. She happens to work for a museum. She suggested creating a life map. She shared how she wrote down on a time line her life. She encouraged us to do the same. Looking for reoccurring patterns of happiness. At what times in your career & life did you feel fulfilled? This was a great exercise, then came the A-Ha moment- even though you leave camp, you CAN figure out how to incorporate camp into your everyday life. Sounds deep (& possibly silly) if you do not have camp running through your veins. She shared how her involvement with ACA fulfills her & keeps her feeling in touch with the camp world.
As I have spent the past year reflecting on this workshop, I have come to some conclusions. The first was to give myself permission to love camp! It's okay to love camp, even when you are not personally involved. I was almost embarrassed to share this part of my life with my co teachers. They would think I was crazy. The second realization was I can have my life & Camp too...without having to move to Michigan & live on a property (in a tiny house in a large woods) I love living in the Chi & I can continue to live here & still love camp!
I can have camp in my early child hood directed life! I can teach children my favorite camp songs! (camp songs drives my passion!) I can pull from my camp background to offer advice for parents leaving our ECE bubble to venture into their first camp experience.
I can also have camp in my personal life- we are going to family camp this year at camp that I worked at!
Next: Creating a mission statement for your life
one of my favorite camp pictures!