Summer Camp IV: Days Off

Camp is great!

But... time off is great too!

Once inside the camp bubble, it is easy to get caught up in the camp craze and you forget there is a bigger world outside the camp gates.

Sometimes you just need to step outside and smell the roses.

Getting off camp is a time for you to relax, unwind with your fellow staff members, dress up like a girl, do a bit of site seeing in the local area, maybe talk to that cute counsellor you've had your eye on,  or maybe just grab a Starbucks.

Ah, there are real girls hidden under that summer camp look!

You would usually find us at Walmart (a huuuge supermarket which has everything you could ever want), the mall or at our local watering hole, JJ's.

We get encouraged to relax and take it easy on our days off, which usually goes in one ear and out the other.  Going crazy on your night off is not always the best plan, just make sure you head to a peaceful lake the next day to sleep it off, trust me your head and body will be thanking you the next morning when you're back on camp.

Lake Minnewaska

A really memorable night off was the time we hired a limo to go to New York City. There were 11 of us and we all felt like celebrities arriving in the Big Apple in a stretched out car. On our way back to our friend's New York apartment, where we were kindly staying, we decided to take a detour to Times Square and have a mini photo shoot.

We spent the next day walking the city and hiding from the rain...

In Starbucks...

Then we had dinner in Chelsea with the most amazing Margarita's! One of us didn't manage to catch the last train back to camp and had to spend the night at the train station. All I'm saying is that, it wasn't me!

Another one of my favourite days off  at camp was the time I spontaneously decided to drive the big 15 passenger camp van all the way to Cony Island in Brooklyn. Little did I know Google maps, would be taking me all the way through Manhattan! All of the sudden, I found myself in front of the new World Trade Centre heading towards Brooklyn Bridge! It was chaotic, to say the least, but I enjoyed every minute of it. 

BIG CAMP VAN.

After hanging out at the beach with some lifeguards...

We decided to grab some yummy seafood and coronas...

Before heading to Cony Carnival...

 

And riding the Wonder Wheel

With some amazing views of the city and Cony Beach. 

Days off are fun, but I usually needed another day off to recover from my day off! Waking up the next morning on camp is not always fun and I used to get 'Days off blues.' The best way to get over it is to get stuck right back in and know that in only 6 days would be your next day off!

How about reading these other posts about Summer Camp?

Summer Camp I

Summer Camp II

Summer Camp III: College Week