At the age of 18 years old my dreams came true. No joke, I still think it was all a dream. I touched American ground. I was out there for 3 months doing Camp America. One of the best experiences of my life and I urge anyone who is thinking of doing it, to just do it!
So as a child going into my teens I had an obsession with America and its whole culture. I would watch endless American TV and wished I lived out there. Me and my best friend would argue who was Rachel and who was Monica from 'Friends.' We were both hard core fans and both wanted to be Rachel. Looking at our personalities now you were right. Your Rachel and I'm defiantly Monica, I admit defeat. Anyways ...It was such an alien world to mine and I was intrigued.
America did not disappoint. It was everything I imagined. It was just like the 'movies', it really was the trip of a lifetime for me.
I was placed on a Camp in Maine for disabled children and adults. My job was a camp counsellor which meant we took care of the campers holistic needs for 24 hours over 6 days. We ate and slept together. It was the hardest job I have ever had to date. It is just like the role of a mother, completely selfless. One camp counsellor described the job role perfectly to me one day "it is the worst job you will ever love." It is hard core for someone like me who just turned 18 and could barely take care of themselves but I LOVE IT. It changed me and I taught me the true meaning of hard work and how to put others before yourself.
I was just so grateful to just be there. I counted my blessings everyday!
I was placed on a Camp in Maine for disabled children and adults. My job was a camp counsellor which meant we took care of the campers holistic needs for 24 hours over 6 days. We ate and slept together. It was the hardest job I have ever had to date. It is just like the role of a mother, completely selfless. One camp counsellor described the job role perfectly to me one day "it is the worst job you will ever love." It is hard core for someone like me who just turned 18 and could barely take care of themselves but I LOVE IT. It changed me and I taught me the true meaning of hard work and how to put others before yourself.
I was just so grateful to just be there. I counted my blessings everyday!
The people I met out there from the Americans to the British and German were the nicest and I mean NICEST I have ever met. So different from most people I knew. The girls weren't bitchy. They boys weren't creeps. We were just one big family on a journey together. One I will treasure and carry for as long as I can remember. The Americans and their families welcomed you into their homes on your weeks off and offered you somewhere to sleep. The British always had open arms and lifted you up when you were home sick. We all looked out for each other yet we all just met. We truly all cared for each other's well being.
Even when the laws tried to separate us.
So here's the thing, the drinking age in America is 21. A few of us were 18. I was the only British girl under age. So on our days off we wanted to drink... Of course we did. We were allowed in the bars and clubs but had to wear a wrist band that glowed in the dark screaming UNDER AGE and had to be kept in a separate area of the club. You can imagine how we felt. The 'older' guys hated it just as much as us so they organised a trip to Canada on one of our weeks off. There we could ALL drink and let our hair down. I don't remember much from my first night there... but looking back at photos it was wild and looked like so much fun!
My traveling was insane. I spent 3 whole days on a buss (to sleep as well) traveling around America until we reached The Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and San Francisco which we spent a few days in each destination until I dragged myself back on that buss for ANOTHER 3 days to get to New York. As much as my body ached I got to see the non tourist side of America as well as the tourist. I saw so many different states and collected post cards from everywhere I went to keep and show my kids one day. There were a few cray cray moments along the way too. I didn't pack a sleeping bag so I literally froze camping in the Grand Canyon. Every hour I had to walk to the toilets and sit under the hand drier to warm up. I had money stolen from me TWICE from my own stupidity. Here's a tip, don't hand your card over to pretty girls waving scarfs in Vegas. But you live and learn and it wasn't the end of the world. It certainly didn't destroy my experience, it was just part of it.
I'm not the most well travelled person in the world don't get me wrong but nevertheless this was and is huge to me. I worked so hard to get there and I never thought in a million years I would actually go. I don't come from a family of money or well travelled for that matter. So I had to work hard and be brave and do something that none could advise me on. It taught me so much about the world and myself and I truly do believe that travel broadens the mind.
You CAN achieve anything if you work hard enough for it.
Be Brave
Jade
XxX
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