Peter-Philip Cotter - California, USA

"My experience has given me my most prized memories, friends for life, and confidence within myself that I never would have found doing anything else"

Standout Moments

Getting to work out in California - I feel like growing up you're surrounded by American media/portrayal of American life through TV and Movies, so it is surreal to be hoping off a plane at LAX, and being around the children who are from surrounding area. It truly feels like getting the American Highschool experience dealing with everything the children bring to camp. And being their counsellor it is your job to be there for them and throw yourself into camp culture allowing for that feeling of being a kid in America to come through.

Both times I have gone to work at a summer camp, I have spent 2weeks afterwards road tripping around the western USA. This has given me a lot of my most prized memories. For example, this year I travelled across 6 continental states and then went to Hawaii - which is a place I thought I would never actually travel too. And that was the best holiday/travel destination I have ever experienced - doing all of this with people who have become family over the course of the summer.

Culture Shock

This year especially I feel like I was fully immersed in American Culture and living. While Americans and Brits speak the same language there are aspects of the culture over there that can come as a bit of shock. One big one that always standouts is the use of Sarcasm, while in the UK it is a big part of our culture, humour, and how we interact with one another in America, they take it literally and don't really understand how we use it. So I've had to learn to not take it too far as Americans can and will be become offended by it.

One big difference that stands out, I think this is also heavy in California Culture then other us states, but politeness. While in the UK we say "sorry" to everything, a mannerism of British culture, and "Please" and "Thank you" and hold doors open for strangers and help strangers out/ask "how are you" whenever you pass someone while walking for example. In the US, California especially, it isn't like this, and people are very self-centred, for example even in coffee shops people don't say please when they order or thank you when they leave. So working with kids who grow up in this culture too can feel frustrating; we as kids get taught how to act a certain why in society to elders and manners the American children are taught different/grow up in that environment where its not customary for them to be like that.

Sharing Challenges

One of the big challenges that I dealt with this year was my mental health at camp. While it is a positive and 10/10 experience it can take its toll. And 2024 being my second year it felt different to me and external life factors occurring while you're on the other side of the planet got to me. However, I wouldn't have wanted all of this to happen while I wasn't at camp. Being around people who truly are always looking out for you and having management who care and want you to work for them made me feel so safe going to anyone for help and getting support.

While you may be on the opposite side of the world to anyone and everyone you know, summer camp does not make it feel like that. I cant express enough how fast the people you work with go from strangers to your best friends and what feels like family. And also being aware that everyone else there is in the exact same boat as you, and you are all there together doing the same job, dealing with the same issues, and that brings comfort.

Making friends for life

Prior to my first year at camp, getting on an 11hr flight to land in a foreign country on the complete other side of the world and work with 160 strangers was the most daunting part of the whole experience. However, from the second i get picked up from the airport everyone from the camp was so lovely.

There is a 2 week training period before the start of each year and this provides 2 weeks where you get to talk to and meet everyone and make friends. I am quite a quiet more reserved person and was like this at the start of my Camp America experience, however in my first year I made friends for life they I still see regularly. And in my second year having that confidence boost from the previous year made me a completely different person to what I was at home.

Everyone is always nervous at first as they don't know what to expect, but very quickly everyone comes out of their shells and you realise you are all in the same boat and due to the job you are forced to talk to these strangers which helps massively and making friends never is as easy as it is at camp.

Beyond Camp

In my first year I rented a car with 4 friends I made at camp and travelled the West coast and Mid-west in the USA. We went to 6 national parks over 7 states, finishing in San Fransisco. After my second summer I did a similar thing travelling to 7 new national parks, spent time in Salt Lake City and San Francisco again and finished back in LA where I stayed with a camp friend for a couple weeks. During which I got to experience Frat Parties and American college life, as well as getting the opportunity to travel to Hawaii which was the most amazing place I have ever travelled.

Advice to Others

The advice I would give is to go into it with an open mind.

No amount of training or research on social media can fully prepare you for a summer working at camp (in the best way, that is). Be open-minded and willing to be very independent but at the same time be the biggest social butterfly you have ever been. As long as when you land, wherever it is you go, you are expecting nothing you have ever experienced and are excited to explore that then you are guaranteed to have the best time!

Step outside you comfort zones and put yourself out there, that's the best advice there is and there is no better place to do that/build courage, confidence, and independence like working at a summer camp!