How Summer Camp Changed My Life: Mark's Camp Canada Story

Stepping Into the Unknown

I'm Mark, and in the summer of 2023, I had the incredible opportunity to work as a camp counsellor at a French-speaking summer camp in Quebec through the Camp Canada program. What started as an exciting challenge quickly turned into an adventure. So much so, in fact, that I came back in the autumn as a facilitator—and again in the summer of 2024. But how did I get ready for such an amazing journey?

The journey to camp started at the Camp Canada job fair, where I met two camp representatives. They spoke about how the camp they work with helps kids from underprivileged backgrounds experience an epic summer, which really sparked my excitement. Oh, and did I mention they spoke French? This was exactly what I was looking for since I was studying it in university! They told me that Quebecois (Canadian French) might be a little different from what I was used to, but that was just part of the fun! I accepted my placement offer and the rest was history.

Let the Nerves Begin!

Fast forward to June 16th. The day I boarded that plane to Montreal felt like one of the biggest steps of my life. I was excited, but also, let’s be real—I was terrified. As I hugged my parents goodbye at the airport, I thought, “What did I get myself into?” But guess what? That 7-hour flight turned out to be the least scary part of the whole trip—trust me. I was about to dive headfirst into a summer full of new friends, incredible challenges, and life-changing lessons. So, I wiped my tears, put on my best “I’ve got this” face, and boarded the plane. And you know what? I’m so glad I did.

Welcome to the Chaos (And the Magic)

From the moment I arrived at camp, I was welcomed with open arms. Meeting all the staff and other Camp Canada participants was so amazing. We experienced the camp as if we were campers and saw everything the camp had to offer like kayaking, archery, camping, rock climbing, arts and crafts and many more activities and games! That initial “camp magic” stuck with me and my goal was to make sure all the campers could share that experience.

At my camp, every counsellor gets a camp name—and I was dubbed "Barbie." Yeah, you read that right. Despite being a 6-foot-tall, bald guy, I was embraced as Barbie because of my bubbly, sparkly personality. The campers’ reactions when they first heard my camp name were priceless. But hey, they loved it, and I owned it. Barbie became my camp name, and honestly, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Then all too soon, training was over and the moment of truth came: meeting my first group of campers. I was nervous, sure, but had no choice but to get working and help these campers settle in and have fun. I quickly discovered that my sense of humor, my enthusiastic French (with a slight Irish twist, apparently), and my dedication to fun were exactly what they needed. While the first session had its challenges for sure, it had some amazing moments which would help me get through the rest of the summer. Before I knew it though, the first session was over and after 10 days, I had to say goodbye to my first group. I was sad, but more than anything, I was proud—proud of what I managed to accomplish despite my nerves and my inexperience.

Then just like that, I blinked and the second session was upon us and a new group of campers arrived. I saw this as a whole new opportunity to step up and be the counsellor I knew I could be. This session allowed me to improve on my preparation, speaking skills and stamina which was the next stepping stone to be a superstar counsellor. One of the most touching moments came when a camper—who’d never hugged anyone—suddenly wrapped me in a huge embrace and thanked me for always being there to listen. It’s moments like these that I was really glad of my decision to do Camp Canada. That moment was a game-changer for me. It made me realise just how much I was impacting these kids, even on the days I felt like a total mess.

The following two sessions only got better and better as I improved my skills and honed in on my strengths. Camp life became more about having fun and connecting with campers and staff instead of stressing about being on time for activities. By the end of the summer I was strong enough to handle a group of campers on my own! As a solo counsellor I was responsible for everything about my group’s day to day activities, which was probably the biggest test and I passed with flying colours (literally because our session theme was the rainbow). This session was really special because I got to know each of my campers really well and felt unstoppable.

Okay enough of the personal growth, now let’s talk about the fun side of camp life. Between the days on the lake, epic Mario Kart races, my Beyoncé Diva workshop, and my Taylor Swift performance (yep, you read that right), camp became the ultimate test of how far out of my comfort zone I was willing to go. Spoiler alert: I was willing to go pretty far. And it was insane. I loved being a pirate one moment then wearing a wig and heels the next. This was one of the best parts of camp for me, learning to laugh at myself. Whether it was mispronouncing French words, failing miserably at archery, or singing “Shake It Off” like it was my last performance on Earth, camp taught me that it’s okay to act the fool. In fact, it’s kind of the secret ingredient to making camp and life unforgettable.

Jetsetting era

But the adventure didn’t end when the last camp session wrapped up. In fact, that’s when the real fun began! Leaving camp teary-eyed in a yellow school bus on a sunny day felt straight out of a movie. As we pulled away from camp, I felt a bittersweet mix of emotions—excited for the next chapter, but sad to leave the world I’d just begun to build. My friends and I set off on an unforgettable road trip across Canada, taking in the sights, experiencing new adventures, and laughing about all the inside jokes we'd made at camp. With my new friends, we ventured to nearby cities and started spending our hard earned money from camp! My travels took me from Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto then over to the west coast like Calgary and Vancouver and then finally to San Francisco! Along the way, we did so many fun activities like horse riding, kayaking, hiking and even got tattoos!

When it came time to come home back to Ireland after this Canadian adventure, I knew I would be back. I was right of course as I came back as the art activity facilitator the next summer ready to dive straight back in! I knew I was ready to pass on my experience onto the next group of newbie counsellors.

Final Thoughts

So, what did I take away from this unforgettable summer?

• Embrace the mistakes. Seriously, don’t shy away from them. If I’d let my fear of speaking French imperfectly stop me, I never would have learned, grown, or laughed so much along the way.
• Be kinder to yourself. Being a camp counsellor is no joke. Doing it in a second language? Even harder. But I learned that I didn’t need to be perfect. I just needed to show up, give it my all, and learn as I went.
• It’s the little moments that matter most. Life’s not about perfection. It’s about the friendships you make, the inside jokes, and those unexpected hugs from a camper who doesn’t know how much they’re teaching you in the process.

If you’re thinking about working at a camp or taking on any challenge that scares you a little (or a lot), here’s my advice: Do it. You’ll make mistakes. You’ll face challenges. But in the end, you’ll be more confident, more resilient, and—if you’re lucky—way more fun than you ever thought possible. Trust me, you’re braver than you think. And who knows? You might just come home with an adventure that sticks for life.

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