My camp story began my first year of University. Young and full of adventure I was on the hunt for an amazing summer job. Growing up in a small town in Saskatchewan, Canada, summer camp wasn’t something I had experienced as a kid. Instead my summers were spent camping with my amazing family.
I knew that I wanted to do something exciting and fun and that my educational goal was to work with kids. So to the internet I went and one of the first jobs that caught my eye was camp counselor. I perused some camp websites, and I’m not sure exactly what it was about Southwoods that caught my eye but for some reason I had to apply. The thought of working in the mountains in New York sounded too good to be true, and every person portrayed on the website looked like they were having the most incredible time!
I applied, and a few days later had a phone interview. Just listening to the enthusiasm of the voice on the other end of the phone, I knew that this was the place I wanted to spend my summer.
A little over 3,000 km from home and the minute I stepped onto camp I knew that this place was special. You get to camp and you are surrounded by like-minded people with a passion for life and contagious energy. I still, 14 years later talk to some of those people who I started my Southwoods adventure with.
The day I left camp I knew that I had to come back, I was unable to return the following two summers, but then my little brother and best friend just finished his first year of university. It didn’t take much to convince Austin that Southwoods was a great place to spend the summer. I was so excited that he was going to get to experience camp! I was also really excited that we were going to come together. It might have been my favourite summer of my 4 years at Southwoods. I knew what to expect this time around plus I got to share and experience it with my brother and a good friend of ours.
I’m not sure if people got sick of camp stories or listening to us talk about the amazing people we met while at camp, but the following year we convinced (fairly easily mind you) 7 more of our friends to travel 3,000 km away from home for the summer to experience Southwoods! The Saskatchewan invasion was on and I was sooo excited that they all got to come and experience camp!
It is amazing to think back on all the memories! Being able to impact a camper’s life and see them grow, how camp brings out the best in you and your day is spent playing and laughing and making new friendships. Southwoods helped make me the person I am today and I wouldn’t trade those summers for anything!
Southwoods is truly a special place! No words that I write on this page can describe the experience of Southwoods. You have to experience it yourself!
-Written by Taylor Dyer, former Southwoods counselor
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