Week 7

One of the most important things I learned this summer, throughout the seven weeks I worked at Wellspring, was how important sleep is for me.  I have never been one of those girls that can stay up till 3 and sleep till 12, nor am I the kind of girl who is chipper in the morning after less than 8 hours of sleep.  I am the type of person that needs their 8 hours or more, and needs a deep restful sleep, especially with this type of job.  The problem with working at a camp though, is that a good night's sleep can be few and far between.  There will be night when we are "on duty" and supposed to be patrolling the floors, checking that lights are off, and that campers are asleep and in bed.  These nights would require us to stay up till 11 or so and while this does not seem late, it could sometimes be hard to fall asleep after this was over.  Also we needed to be up by about 6:20 to get all our campers up as well to be out the door by 7:15 and ready fr walk at 7:30.  I loved the morning walks I had after a full night's rest; however, there were a couple mornings that my coffee was an invaluable resource.  I found that for the night's I couldn't get to bed, or something came up, that the coffee was my saving grace.
     Realizing this about myself was important.  I found I was incredibly grounchy and cranky and just looking forward to going to bed again when I did not sleep, and that I was happy, relaxed and content when I was able to get a full 8 hours or more.  I realize that while I love working at a camp, my job in the future must be one that does not require me to work overtime, and one that I can leave when the day ends at work.  Sleep is such a vital part of human functioning, and I have learned this summer that without it I did not perform well at my job, or feel well emotionally.

Week 8 (Camp over for a bit...)

Although a few weeks have passed since the end of my internship, I have found that there were aspects of my job that I loved, and aspects of it that taught me something, but that I could still live without.  Writing my paper and doing my project on Human Services and self-care, I found that it was easier to reflect on my time working at Wellspring in a more objective way.  For example, understanding the amount of stress my supervisor was under made me realize that it was not only my self-care that was suffering at times.  I found there were a couple people I truly looked up to as mentors in the Human Services field, and this was helpful in gaining knowledge from my experience.  I love working for Wellspring each and every summer I have been there, but I realize that this may have been my last summer.  I love what I do there, I love working with the campers, and I love that we are able to make a change in these adolescent’s lives, but it is one of the hardest jobs in the world.  I realize that “one of the hardest jobs in the world” is also a relative term, but I believe that the amount of time, energy and effort, both physical and emotional that go into this position, are pretty extraordinary.  I am so proud of all my co-workers for staying on because I know what that must have been like for them. Understanding how important self-care in the workplace can be for my well-being is part of what inspired me to write this paper and I am so glad I did.  I found interesting articles that applied to so much of what I am interested in and I found myself reading way more sources than necessary.  The process took much longer than I anticipated, but again it is about knowing yourself so you can plan accordingly, and I clearly didn't know how much time I would require to complete such a task.  I loved working at Wellspring and learning everything I did, but I am happy I am not able to sit back and reflect on the parts of it I am most interested in.  

Week 5 Wellspring Wisconsin (home from camp)

Coming home from camp was a hard adjustment in some ways, gathering stuff, getting used to having free time (lol), but all in all it is lovely to be back home.  I feel like I can take a big breath and relax, and not fret about family etc. while thousands of miles away from home.  The timing, sadly in many ways, actually worked out well for my family.  My mother is flying out to Philadelphia early next week as soon as she can to take care of my aunt who is not doing well with chemotherapy, so I will need to be home to take care of our puppy and little brother (who is 6'4' and looks older than I do).  It is not to say I am happy any of this is going on, but I am truly thankful my job and internship worked out and in a way, required so many hours of me.
    Last week was very tiring with packing up all my things, shipping them across the country without a car, and then flying home with a 3 hour flight delay (so fun...), but it is wonderful seeing my friends and family again.  I found last week was sad in many ways leaving my fellow staff and campers, but it was wonderful closure in that I was able to celebrate with the staff and affirmations from campers.  One of the things that was hardest for me when I was leaving, was hearing our campers before dinner at dinner circle, share affirmations with me on my last night at camp.  I am not someone who likes to cry and especially not someone that likes to cry in public, but what the campers shared with me about not only how much they will miss me, but how much I have touched them this summer, was so heartwarming.  The fact that I was able to help motivate boys and girls to do what I have done as a weight controller is truly amazing for me to hear, but it was even more touching to hear that there were campers who looked up to me as a person.  The campers I worked with this summer were some of the kindest and most respectful kids I have ever had the opportunity to share a summer with.
    I am the kind of person who will think yeah marriage, maybe one day, but I definitely want kids, and this summer was one of those times in life that really cemented it for me.  There were so many different personalities, backgrounds, everything, that made each camper so individual and I really appreciated being able to work with each and every one.  There were campers that made me think "if my child is half as wonderful as you I will be such a grateful mother".  I certainly don't want kids in the next few years, but its always reassuring to work with incredible adolescents that remind you there is always good in the world:)

Week 4 Wellspring Wisconsin (week 7, end of camp)

Last week at Wellspring Wisconsin was a bit of a whirlwind.  I positively love my job and each and everyday I am so thankful for what I am able to do there.  Working at camp was becoming pretty draining emotionally on me after learning my aunt was diagnosed with stomach cancer and I found that I did not have the emotional energy or wherewith-all to deal with what I was feeling.  I spent the week working hard on my fitness classes, spending time with my campers, and investing the time and energy into each and every camper that asked for some extra attention our last week there.  I was asked to help put together a Pilates workout dvd that would be posted on the parent blog and sent out to campers who requested it so that campers who enjoyed the class could take it home with them and workout with me whenever they wanted.  I also do a guided meditation at the end of my Pilates classes, where the campers lie on their mats and we walk through being somewhere that makes us happy, achieving whatever goal we want to achieve, and picturing a warm light moving from the toes to the head.  I try and instill during this short relaxation period, how important it is to thank our bodies for the hard work we do everyday, but also to realize that the body is just our transporter.  This may sound a big cheesy to some, but its something I truly believe.  Working at a weight loss camp it is our job to get them motivated, healthy and moving, but sometimes its also important to recognize the individual who is going through this process.  Many of the therapists at Wellspring get to know the campers more intimately than I do as a fitness counselor and general counselor, and it makes me realize how much I want to know about what they love to do outside of camp and what makes them happy.  Do they love singing? poetry? dancing? writing? Whatever it was about them that made them truly happy- whether it was working out or not.
       During this last week I actually had a group of campers and I practice yoga while sharing three things about ourselves that we love doing or that nobody else in the room knew about us.  It was fairly general and the answers varied- from driving to listening to songs before bed, to playing the violin, but I loved hearing about each of them as an individual.  I truly loved each and every one of my campers this summer, even the ones that made me nuts at times, and it helped me to realize that while this job can be challenging, there are so many parts of it that have taught me what I do want as a future career and even what I want in life.

Week 3 internship blog post (beg. week 6 WWI)

This week has gone by more slowly than the last with 13 campers in our group now, a new group dynamic in our bunk.  My girls who left to go home were sad to leave, but still have one returning at the 6 week mark.  This dynamics that have taken place this week have been a bit trying to witness as a counselor but I am doing my best to maintain a positive attitude when things are difficult.  My co-counselor with whom I have grown very close is leaving in 2 weeks because she only has a 6 week contract with the camp so that is going to be very difficult.  While we are in many ways opposite, me being a vegetarian and from a cosmopolitan city, and her from a small farm in Iowa, I am so lucky I have had her these last 4 weeks as my other half.  She has become one of my closest friends and it will be hard to see her go.
   I believe this week I have done a better job of self-care although it went somewhat downhill last week in the stress category when my computer broke, quite literally, on my day off when I usually like to get all my work done and submitted.  I spent any free time I had last week trying to call the Lenovo technical people to help me with my computer and then finally convincing my mother to ship my high school laptop across the country.  It was a long week but when I finally received a working computer I was ecstatic.
     I found last week, that not being able to complete my work by when I had intended had caused me a lot of stress, but I managed to get the work in by Thursday.  On the work front, I believe I am doing a good job at accomplishing my goals.  I have figured out that instead of taking my block off to rest and nap, that there are days when getting in the gym for just 20 minutes of cardio, is what really gives me more energy for the rest of the day.  By taking care of my body and myself I am able to be the best counselor I can be.
   I have found I also have my patience tested at times, which of course comes along with being a camp counselor.  When I found out my girls were making fun of girls in other bunks for their weight, while attending a weight-loss camp, I had to stop myself from reacting unprofessionally in the moment, step back and approach the girls after.  I had to speak to the entire bunk in a calm and rational way about why bullying about weight at a weight-loss camp was not only unacceptable, but something I had trouble comprehending. The majority of the girls in our group wouldn't imagine saying such a thing, but after a walk with the young woman who I heard was doing the bullying, I found out she herself was withdrawn from public school to be home-schooled because of she herself was bullied so much.  This was for me, a perfect example of why issues need to be explored in a different context and why therapy is so essential at a camp such as this.  CBT and one on one behavior counseling are part of our program here, and by building self-esteem and even self-love, we are empowering these boys and girls to be happier, healthier and even kinder human beings in the long run.

Week 2 at Wellspring Wisconsin (week 5)

This last week was a bit hectic at my internship site since we were preparing for Family Workshop Weekend and the new campers that were arriving.  Family workshop went well and it was great getting to know some of the parents of campers that I have worked with.  I did a presentation with the other fitness instructor where we showed a power point to parents on what we do at Wellspring for exercise activities, what barriers there could be, and how we encourage campers to try a variety of sports and fitness activities before returning home to help them find what they like.  I loved doing these slides for the parents because it helped demonstrate what the campers might have been feeling before Wellspring and how once at camp, they are able to try new activities in a safe, fun and non-judgmental environment.  The campers I work with don't discuss it often, but they are often picked on in school for their weight.  This teasing can lead to lowered self-esteem and as a result, they are much less likely to head to a local gym to try a new class or want to sign up for their local soccer league.
    In the exercise classes I teach, kickboxing, Pilates and glutes & buns, I try and instill a sense of power and confidence among the campers.  Whether its blasting Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger" during a kickboxing class, or going around to individually correct form, my goal is for the campers to gain a sense of confidence and control over not only their workouts, but also their bodies.  Wellspring's goal is to "Aim for 0" fat grams and tries not to push an exact caloric requirement for each camper, but it is implied that by eating low density, high protein foods, fruits and vegetables, and lots of good carbohydrates, that they will naturally be eating significantly less calories than when they began at Wellspring.  I love this program because I know from personal experience that it is sustainable.  I started my summer when I was turning 17 at 194 pounds and only 5'5.  I was obese for my height and I had noticeably less energy.  While it has been six years since I began my journey towards becoming a long-term weight controller, I can say without a doubt that while this program seems rigid and strict, it works.  I am now in my early twenties, a healthy weight, and have developed a love for healthy eating and exercise that I could not have achieved had I not started this program.
     Each day I spend here starts for me, with waking up at 6:30 and then starting the walk, and going all day doing activities, teaching classes, playing with the kids, until 10:00 at night.  It is an exceptionally long day, but I can say without hesitation its one of the most rewarding opportunities I could ask for.

This summer I am working at a health and fitness camp called Wellspring Wisconsin located in Kenosha, WI at Carthage College.  I am excited to be working here as a fitness counselor and certified personal trainer, helping overweight and obese adolescents lose weight and gain confidence.  I have worked for Wellspring for four summers now, but this is the first summer I will be working at the Wisconsin location and the first time I will be on the fitness staff.  I am hoping to help the kids I work with not only lose weight,  but also become more comfortable and confident in their own bodies.  I teach kickboxing and Pilates classes at the camp and in kickboxing I hope the help empower each of them in a healthy and positive way.  I am so lucky to have the chance to work with this population, and as a former camper and now weight-controller myself I feel I can help to motivate the campers through therapeutic exercise classes and personal experience.  Wellspring Camps are the top weight loss camps in the country and have satellite camps stationed everywhere from the U.K. to California to New York.  It's an organization I have been happy to work for and be a part of for the last 4 years and look forward to another summer helping to change the lives of teens in a new way.