It’s Definitely Not Summer Camp

“If you done this before you know what I’m talking about. If you are thinking about doing it, know that you can”

Working the summer in AK. Man, that was different and hard, I never thought I could do it. Working 16 hours a day seems...unhuman. Like, “can a person even do that?!” Welp,  you can. When I was on that big bus following the Special to fish camp I thought this is it, can’t turn back now. 

We got off the bus and within 24 hours my first 13 hour shift started. I was a housekeeper. We got training on the go and about 14 days later we started our 16 hour shifts. It was hard. It was long. But, the people were cool, the food was always good and you knew that you were NOT alone. You could see it in everyone’s eyes. They wanted to be asleep somewhere to but they were not going to give up and neither should I. 

I found the best way to get motivated was to not overthink my crap. Don’t overthink the pain in my feet, the way my back hurt and especially how hard it was to get out of bed. “Just get up and start the day, in 16 hours you will get to be back in bed.”

Another great one was to ask my friends as we were working what they were going to do when they got out. We said things like eat all the Thai food, get a massage, sleep till noon, they were always simple things but were things we all wanted so bad.

If you done this before you know what I’m talking about. If you are thinking about doing it, know that you can. It takes grit and determination. It’s definitely not summer camp. This very well might be the hardest thing you have ever done but heck, it’s worth it!

By, Marigrace Botts-Padilla