28 Mar 2014

Pennsylvania, USA



How to sum up Camp America; tiring, memorable, exhilarating, educating, ridiculous, hysterical, have you ever seen a penguin come to tea? Some days are good, some days are bad, some days you just want to give up and go home but it was the best experience of my life and I wouldn't change it for the world. 



My camp was set in the middle of the Allegheny Mountains, where weather is unpredictable and scenery is stunning.


I was working at 'Grier Summer School', an all girls private school. They had some of the most beautiful (and expensive) horses I have ever seen and ridden. I don't think I could have been luckier...


For all the British counsellors, Walmart was an experience like no other... Bikes, clothes, toys and food in the same place?! Genius!

The American counsellors had just as much fun as we did...
Tye-Dye Tuesday every Tuesday without fail.. We had way too much fun making our shirts!


SHEETZ! What an absolute revolution! Fast food/grocery store/gas station?! For many nights this was a close and quick getaway for some time away from the kids and a chance to binge eat without having to eat vegetables too... 


Mama and Papa Z... Mama Z was our camp director.. without her camp wouldn't have been the experience it was.. She is a truly wonderful lady and her husband is pretty cool too!


 This kid! Never failed to put a smile on my face... She could do an amazing British accent.. maybe the best I have ever heard!


Maybe one of the best photos I have ever taken... Honestly if there was one photo I would pick to sum up camp, it would probably be this one. Whilst there is no denying that camp is hard, there are some truly magical moments. 



HAAAAAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPH! Maybe one of the most monotonous expressions of my whole time at camp.. Unfortunately I was the first person to have a birthday at camp.. it literally lasted for the whole two months... thankfully it was just the one time cake was smashed in my face. 


The best unit ever... I was lucky enough to have these girls for a whole 3 weeks! I couldn't have asked for a better unit and I miss them more and more everyday.


After 6 days of responsibility, we lived for our days off, when we weren't responsible for anyone other than ourselves.. most days were spent being irresponsible and reckless.



 After a lot of continuous hard work, you are blessed with moments like this one. I was teaching Grace (11 years old) privately as there were only two people in the class. We worked hard every lesson and it paid off. The riding director was watching one of my lessons and suggested Grace got moved up a class in the show that week. So rather than jumping cross rails she would be jumping 2'6". I was absolutely terrified. She ended up beating most of the people in that class and winning third place.


 After two months I irrevocably fell in love with this horse. I almost cried when I had to leave him! So strange how you can get so attached to animals so quickly...


If you ever have the time and opportunity to do Camp America.. DO IT! They are a fantastic organisation and I will do a separate post for what they do. After two months of camp and a month of travelling I came back a different and better person.

  Until next time.. 
Loads of love
Steph xoxox

Oh, and you will meet the best people in the world. 


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