REMINISCING

So camp, a lot harder than what I expected but also a LOT more rewarding. I loved the kids, I had never taught but I actually loved teaching, I loved it all but it was hard. Me as a person I'm very ... I'm a big kid really, not the most serious of people, In fact I'm the least serious person you could meet; camp on the other hand - very serious. Do the math! However, it was a challenge and I feel I was opened up to a lot of experiences, challenges, things and people I wouldn't have usually been and that was great, I definitely learnt a lot! 

I did keep a journal, how very American of me? That's nice, maybe I'll look through it and post stuff on here. If you want to know my favourite memory though or at least one of them, it would have to be teaching one of the little 7 year olds to swim. A non teacher teaching a non swimmer to swim, and she told her mam and then she showed her dad when he came to pick her up and her little friends said I was a good teacher and then when she left, I got a little letter in the post saying thank you. That was cool, very cool.

This video tells you a bit about what Ballibay is! 

Note how talented the kids are. They make me feel so untalented (hahaha). I loved working with them all, the older ones and the younger. Honestly was in my element, and I made them laugh. As well as lifeguard, radio instructor, cabin counselor, table counselor, and everything else ... I was also camp comedian. 

I think Americans are a lot more interesting. Had some cool conversations with staff and actually, the "kids". Abbreviation marks because the "kids" are so smart, more like mini adults. 

Have a look at the kids talking about camp on the video below...




Ballibay specialises in performing arts, it's actually among the best performing arts camps in the u.s, not all camps have Ballibays structure as it is quite school scheduled and more ... professional? I'm not sure if that's the right word but it isn't a "rah-rah" camp. 

I would have honestly LOVED to go to a camp where you dance on tables, sing songs and throw food at people but it was really inspiring to witness what Ballibay has to offer and it was actually just a lovely environment full of talented and ambitious kids! 
It was out of my comfort zone but also very rewarding and eye opening. 

The video below shows you a bit about the theater that the kids done at camp. On an evening we would watch the productions as a whole camp together, they truly were amazing and hard to believe that it was actually "kids" performing.