During the summer months, most people tend to enjoy a slower work and school schedule. Often vacations are planned, day trips are undertaken, and an overall carefree attitude is present in the atmosphere. However, for me, most of my summer is anything but what most people would consider relaxing. That's because I chose to spend my summer months volunteering at an overnight camp for adults and children with intellectual and physical disabilities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay When I tell most people how I choose to spend my free time during the summer months, they are shocked at first. The question I get most often is why I would want to spend my entire summer working for free. Very often, volunteering is considered a thankless job. However, after volunteering as a camp counselor for the past six summers, I can attest that this is definitely not the case. The first year I decided to volunteer, I was just sixteen years old, fresh out of my sophomore year of high school. . At first, I had several reservations about registering for such a camp. I had never worked with a special needs population before and, frankly, I had no idea what to expect. Despite these reservations, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and put my name on the volunteer list. A few months later, we were now in the dog days of summer, and it was officially the day I was supposed to embark on my adventure as a volunteer camp counselor. Once I arrived at camp, I was immediately greeted by several senior counselors who wanted nothing more than for me to feel at home and comfortable. To this day, I still remember the moment when one of the older counselors introduced herself to me and shared something that would become a fundamental theme of my time at camp. I don't remember verbatim what she said to me, but it was something like, "Nothing anyone tells you will fully prepare you for this week, but I know you're going to be great." Trust us and trust yourself.” After that, slowly but surely, my initial fears began to fade. Looking back on that day, all these years later, I can confidently say that choosing to volunteer at this camp was one of the best decisions I have ever made. My first year of volunteering was a huge learning experience. I closely observed how the older staff interacted with the campers, making mental notes of what to do and what not to do. There were times when I felt lost and the difficult times were extremely hard. However, the good times were beautiful and some of the best times of my life. By the end of the summer, I gained confidence and felt more comfortable in my new role. I had learned that my initial fears of not being a good enough advisor to my group or not having fun could not have been further from the truth. Among other benefits, the most important lesson I learned from my first year at camp is that if you are not passionate about any aspect of what you do, whether it is volunteering at this camp in particular or in any area of ​​life, that you will get absolutely nothing from this experience and that it would be better not to do it at all. Since my first year at camp, I have returned every summer. Volunteering has.