Early in October of 2010 I was hired to work at an all boys sports camp in Eagle River, Wisconsin. There were a few things I liked about this job offer- the fact that I would be working under a physician at all times and the opportunity to gain experience for the resume. I thought this would be nothing more than a summer job, and that I'd return home in August and pick up life right where I left off. By no means is this the case, because I fell in love with Camp Ojibwa instantly.
Do you ever just do something because it feels right? Not really questioning why you make certain decisions or how you've come to this place to begin with? That's camp for me. I cannot truly tell you why I even began seeking a job as a camp nurse, it just kind of happened.
June 12, 2011 I arrived at camp, knowing no one. Totally lost, I walked up the long driveway to the office where I met Matt and Rooney. Great guys. I had to ask them where the office was.. ha.. a whole 50 feet from where I was standing. Oops, good work on that one Kayla. I think I was more mesmerized by the beauty of camp. I'm not sure what I was expecting; I guess when I went to camp as a child the facilities were not quite as nice. I don't remember our cabins even having doors. You have to take a look at what I saw that first day:
The Waterfront
Catfish Lake
Staff hangin' by the Collegiate Week bench
Just chillin' on campus. Camper's cabins in the background.
Pre-camp was amazing. It was laid back and rather productive. During the day a lifeguard certification class was offered and in the evenings the nurses and I were assembling the infirmary. By night we would go out with the staff in downtown Eagle River. Great times for sure, but I think everyone was really anxious for the campers to arrive. And a week later the big coach buses pulled up. Filled with campers. The youngest being only 7 and the oldest boys being 16. Age defines no friendship at Ojibwa.
Camper/Staff Demographics: Most people at camp are from the Chicago area- Highland Park and Deerfield. Others were from St. Louis, MO, some from Florida, and others from Cali. An overwhelming percentage of the camp population was Jewish, and all had funny accents. More realistically I had the mismatching accent. I was consistently reminded of how Minnesotan I am when I would say "flag football." ha.
Anyway, so camp was eight weeks long. Each day I would wake up to reveille, jump off the bunk bed, scarf down a bowl of cereal, and walk back to the infirmary with a hot cup of tea. Then the morning officially started with "sick call" where any camper or staff could come in and receive any and all sorts of medical attention. YAY work! (Not sarcasm. Really thankful for having a job at camp this summer!) So, sick call would typically last about a half hour, then I'd either go back to sleep or go watch the campers play sports while catching some rays. Seriously. Living the dream. Then lunch would come around, another sick call, more sports, dinner, sick call, more sports, sick call, and sleep. That's it. Typical day at the BWA.
In other words, being a camp nurse means lots of down time. The other nurses and I would often go kayaking, swimming, tanning, basically getting paid to have the summer of our lives. No complaints here. My personal fav would probably be sittin' on the swing bench all afternoon reading a good book. :) Eagle River had a few rainy days this summer, but most afternoons were hotter than hades. Phew. This heat caused many campers to come to sick calls either needing aloe for sunburns or advil for dehydration headaches. Or maybe they just wanted to chat up the nurses. Meh.
Nights out in the ER were fabulous. The local bar we frequented was called Geeos. Decent sized dance floor and cheap drinks. Nothing like the city bar experience that's for sure, but this small shady bar lead to many crazy and unforgettable nights. Looking back, it's almost sad how often staff went here. I'm only 21 and wouldn't get carded because the bouncer and bartenders knew me by name. I'd walk in and my drink would be made by the time I reached the bar. Pathetic. But really freaking cool at the same time. Pictures say more than words. Here's a glance into the experience.
Days in.. Nights out.. almost every moment at Ojibwa was amazing. But everything good has to come to an end. I actually got all emotional and teary as I left camp. Never did I think I would become so attached to a place in such a short amount of time. I hope I have a real job that I enjoy by the time next summer rolls around, but if that's not the case I know where I'll be heading. Regardless of what the future holds, I'm sure I'll find my way back to Eagle River- even if it's only for a few days.
In the past 48 hours I've learned that goodbyes would be much more difficult if Facebook didn't exist.
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