It’s the summer and we haven’t headed off to camp yet. In the last 5 years, Memorial Day weekend has been move up time for the boys and I. Before the boys, I used to move to camp mid May. And here we are mid-June and no talk of camp, so what’s up?!
Last summer was both fabulous and also difficult. It was unique as we were only there for a month, and there weren’t any campers- just Meghan, Sean, Mary, the boys and I, as well as small groups of volunteers. Camp is magical (even without the campers) and we spent the month swimming every day (sometimes twice a day), going into town for wood fired pizza (the best pizza of all time), and having camp to ourselves. The boys loved it, but they were also homesick and missed Nate terribly. The trailer, which has been home for years and one of my favorite places, was way too small for all of us.
Nate and I had been dating for just 5 months when I packed up and headed for camp, telling him I’d see him in the fall. I’d been at camp a few years already and I wasn’t about to give that up for a guy I was dating. He hung in with me, making the 3 hour drive to visit, and it’s been part of our relationship ever since. But several times over the years, we’ve acknowledged that at some point, camp wouldn’t be the right fit for our life.
We got married at camp. I was pregnant at camp. We added a crib to the trailer, and strapped Xander on my chest and carried on like normal. I was pregnant a second time, this time with a toddler at camp. The next year, I strapped Augustus on my chest and carried on again. He took his first steps in the trailer. But by the end of last summer, I knew it was time to move on, even though I love this job and have spent 13 years with camp as part of who I am. It has been a nonstop adventure and I have loved every minute (even the ones I spent swearing under my breath at whatever nonsense I was trying to fix at the moment).
I’m not exactly sure what I want to do- I’ve only ever wanted to be a camp director and this has been my dream job for 13 years. I started job searching in August- something in nonprofit management. In January, I met with my board to let them know that it was time to find my replacement. I hadn’t yet found a job, but I didn’t want to leave camp hanging and a new camp director would need to be in place ASAP to get ready for the summer.
Nate and I were prepared for me to be between jobs for a bit, which was a scary prospect, but the best thing for camp was to get a new director in time to be ready for camp, and I wanted to set camp up for success, even if it meant taking a leap of faith.
The board was supportive and we even discussed the possibility of me staying executive director, but remaining in the office, rather than moving to camp. I can’t imagine a world where that would work, so we ultimately decided against that option. I continued working like normal- preparing for camp- hiring staff, registering kids, etc.
It took camp a bit longer to find my replacement than I’d expected. The new ED started May 10! Courtney is fabulous and I love her and I am so happy for camp that they have her. I worked with her for a few weeks, trying to share 13 years worth of lessons learned- trying hard to share systems and logistics without getting too nostalgic or taking her too far down memory lane (but there were a few tangents along the way!).
Next week I will head to camp for a week of lifeguard and CPR training for the staff and then I am officially part of history. I am excited to spend some time at camp before it’s officially over.
I feel good about my decision to leave- I haven’t had any moments of regret or of changing my mind. I could go on and on forever about how much I love camp and how much I loved my job and what an adventure it’s been, but I am also completely content to be moving on. I don’t yet have a new job or a plan, and that is somewhere between exciting and terrifying and has been sending me into a panic from time to time. I’m hoping the right position opens (and hires me!) soon.
I’m excited for my first summer at home in 13 years- what do people do if they aren’t in the woods all summer?! The boys are signed up for sports class and swim lessons. Xander will be taking weekly golf lessons. We’ve got baseball tickets and soccer tickets and a long list of family fun activities we want to do. I’m excited to spend time with friends, and happy that I won’t have to miss out on backyard BBQs and summer fun.
Saying goodbye to camp is a HUGE life change and I expect that sometime in the next few weeks, I will burst into ugly tears (it hasn’t happened yet). But I’m excited for the next adventure that awaits!
