A Flying Start for Summer Camper Patrick!

The countdown is on for Summer Camp USA member, Patrick, as he packs his bags, finishes up his last days of work and says his goodbyes to mates. In a matter of days Patrick will be touching down in the good old US of A, ready for an unbelievable summer working as a trip leader at Camp Lincoln in Minnesota.

For Patrick, the whole experience was made that bit easier when he won his return flights to America in our national flight competition.

Having saved himself a bundle, Patrick has decided to continue his journey long after the sun goes down on the American summer. A trip to Europe and a working holiday in Sweden waits in the wings, but for now – Patrick has a bunch of excitable kids to think about and they won’t have the boundaries of the camp grounds to keep them in check.

“My placement couldn’t have been better. It was exactly what I wanted,” Pat said, “I take kids out on different lengths trips depending on the age group, hiking trips, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking well there’s bound to be lots of that in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes as Minnesota is known.”

Patrick is well aware that this is going to be some seriously hard work, especially in the beginning when the kids will be ‘weaned’ off their usual pastimes like computer games in an effort to get them back to nature.

“This looks like a really rugged experience with the kids. The camp doesn’t allow any electronics, no phones, no I-pods, no computers for the kids. It’s getting them away from the city life. Apparently when PS2s came out kids had the handheld ones and it ruined the experience at camp so they banned them.”

The excitement is building as the day when Patrick finally gets to see what camp is ‘really’ like draws closer.

 “From what I’ve read about my camp, it’s everything I had ever imagined, and quite similar to what I’ve seen in movies and pop culture.” he said.

Of course, just like all our first time campers, he has his moments of nerves. When asked about his camp fears he replies,

“Bears! I hadn’t thought about that at first….I kind of worked out there are some there but not too many, no…a real worry is a kid being injured away from camp and me being responsible for them.”

While Patrick does have a fair amount of responsibility on his shoulders, as trip leader he is also privileged to be able to experience more American nature than most counsellors.

“I’m really excited about seeing the States,” he said, “My role as trip leader means I’m not stuck at camp, I get to see more of the States, the unique parts of Minnesota. You know, the stereotypical American forests and lakes, I get to be amongst that.”

As our competition winner boards his complimentary flight to the USA, we wish him heaps of luck at camp and during his onward travel.

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