This summer Henrik Schleisman, a counselor during 2nd session this 2024 summer, wrote a blog about his experiences as a camper and transitioning into being a counselor.
Read his blog below…
I first came to camp when I was 11 years old on the recommendation of a friends parent, and for the first few years I didn’t really love it. I went for the activities, mostly. Ski/wake, paintball, archery, were all I really cared about. My friends were cool but I hadn’t really developed a personality yet, so relationships weren’t my main concern. As I grew older, I began to make real friends who I would see every summer, and this was when camp completely changed for me. As a younger camper, other people at camp were just exactly that; other people. But as a wolf, camp became entirely about developing and maintaining the beautiful and entirely unique friendships that you make as a camper here.
My last year at camp was really when I realized what camp meant to me; it was no longer a place just to do cool activities and spend time outside, it wasn’t about “fun”. Camp was entirely special because of the campers and counselors who make it what it is.
Henrik looks like he is about to say something very serious about soccer
Becoming a counselor wasn’t something I planned on doing. Before my first year as a counselor I had just spent a year abroad, and wanted to spend my summer at home, working and saving up, but camp somehow keeps finding its way back into my life. Some counselors asked me mid-session to come up and join staff, and for some reason I said yes.
Life as a counselor at Foley was different than I anticipated. It was way more work than I expected; long days, short nights, endless responsibilities. It’s an exhausting job, but it really isn’t work. It’s exhausting in the same way I imagine taking care of a family would be, onerous but purposeful, rewarding. The bonds you build with staff, and especially with the campers, make every drop of blood, sweat, and tears (every counselor experiences all three) worth it. Camp to me will always just be about the beautiful relationships I have built in this place.
If you would like to write an entry for our Ratlin’ Blog, please email allydaily@campfoley.com